The Hero King
by xXJennJennXx
Summary: The Sequel to "The Broken Queen". As Marceline prepares for the birth of her child, she finds herself dealing with her sordid past, the demands put on her by the High Council of Vampires, and a kingdom teetering on the brink of warfare.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is the sequel to my previous story ****_The Broken Queen._**** It's pretty necessary to read that one before you read this! Please feel free to leave any reviews or constructive criticism! **

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Marceline Abadeer stood on a green hillside, looking down at rows and rows of graves before her. She had braved the harsh sun, with the help of a large hat and long gloves, to attend the funerals of the five Special Security Agents who had died protecting her from her ex-boyfriend, and the father of her child, Ash. Finn stood next to her, his remaining arm wrapped around her waist protectively. He had been by her side nearly constantly in the week since they returned from Princess Bubblegum's cabin in south Ooo.

Marceline turned her attention away from the formalities of the military funeral and glanced at her friends around her. Jake the Dog was paralyzed after being hit with one of Ash's spells; the doctors said he would walk again, but only if he completed painful physical therapy every day. Simon had a shattered femur, internal injuries, and numerous cuts from being thrown through a glass window. Finn had lost his right arm. And Princess Bubblegum was a different woman since her encounter with Ash; she hadn't told anyone what he had done to her, but Marceline, who had laid underneath him, tears streaming down her face, feeling dirty and worthless and sick more times than she could count, knew. The queen couldn't help but feel that everything that had happened was all her fault.

The sound of Ooo's anthem brought Marceline out of her reverie and she turned her attention back to the ceremony. Five identical, flag draped coffins were being lowered into the ground as nearly all of the Candy Kingdom looked on. The somber silence was broken by a young Gumdrop woman wearing a black veil. Her stomach was more swollen than Marceline's and the Vampire recognized her as one of the SSA's wife. They'd been married just over a year, and her wail twisted the undead woman's heart.

After the ceremony, Finn and Marceline walked hand-in-hand to the Candy Castle where they had been staying since their return to Ooo. The queen nearly cried out in surprise when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She turned around, and the Gumdrop woman she had noticed before slapped her hard across her face. Marceline fell to the ground, her hat tumbling from her head and the sun blistering her sensitive skin.

"My husband died for you and your worthless bastard," the Gumdrop woman said, "and you have the nerve to show up _here_?"

The woman spat at Marceline and the liquid sizzled against her skin. Princess Bubblegum shaded the queen while Finn helped her to her feet and placed the hat back on her head. The trio watched as a man, the Gumdrop woman's brother-in-law, led her away.

"Are you hurt, Marceline?" Princess Bubblegum asked.

"I'm fine," she replied. "I just need to get inside."

Together, Finn and Princess Bubblegum helped Marceline into the castle and into the princess' office, where she sunk into a plush chair.

"I can have her arrested, you know," Princess Bubblegum said after a moment of awkward silence.

"No, I'm fine. I just want to lie down for a while," the queen said, weakly trying to stand up.

"Let me carry you," Finn said, stooping down.

"I can walk," Marceline snapped. She saw a look of hurt on Finn's face and forced herself to smile. "I mean, I need the exercise. It's good for the baby."

Finn nodded and helped her to her feet. She had taken no more than three steps, when she heard a sharp knock on the door. Princess Bubblegum opened it and looked up at the tall, intimidating demon standing before her.

"Hello, Hunson," she said. Although she was grateful that the Demon King had killed Ash and saved their lives, she couldn't help but be wary of his presence after his numerous attempts to suck out the souls of the Candy people.

"Hello, Bonnibel," he replied. "Would you happen to know where my daughter is?"

"She's right here, but it's been a long day and she needs her rest, so-"

Hunson pushed past the princess and looked at Marceline, shocked by how much her baby had grown since he had last seen her.

"Oh, honey," he said, his voice suddenly soft. "You…you remind me so much of your mother."

"What are you doing here, Daddy?" Marceline asked, flustered by his rare compliment.

Hunson's face hardened and he returned to his stern self.

"I was sent here by Malum," he replied. "He wanted me to speak with you about some details of running the kingdom."

"Who's Malum?" Finn asked.

"He's the leader of the Vampire High Council," Marceline answered. "With Acheron and Herros. They're ancient, even compared to me, and super powerful."

Finn nodded.

"You can use my office," Princess Bubblegum offered. "Finn and I will give you some privacy."

"Actually," Hunson said, "I'd prefer it if you two stayed. This involves you just as much as it involves Marceline."

Finn and Princess Bubblegum glanced at each other and sat down, along with Marceline and Hunson. The Demon King formed a tent with his hands and sighed.

"I'm not quite sure how to put this," he began, "but the Vampire Kingdom is in grave danger. Malum has tried his best to keep the media quiet about this, and he's done quite well, but we knew we had to tell you sooner or later."

"Tell me what?" Marceline asked, panic creeping into her voice.

"The Wizard Kingdom is preparing for war. They're taking Ash's death as an attack, and they've been mass-producing weapons by the thousands. Just today they passed a law allowing them to reopen the draft for all able-bodied men of a certain age. They want a fight, Marceline, and they're not going to stop until they get one."

"So what?" Marceline asked, biting her bottom lip. "If they want a fight they'll get one!"

"Honey, it's not that simple. As you must be aware, Malum and his council are…old-fashioned, to say the least. They don't approve of you having a child out of wedlock, and there has been talk of leaving the kingdom if your behavior doesn't change soon."

"So, what happens if they leave?" Finn asked. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, and he squeezed Marceline's hand tighter.

"If they leave, the kingdom falls," Marceline said. "They control everything: weapons production, the banks. Fuck, even the Vampires themselves."

"Exactly," Hunson continued. "They sent me here to tell you that they will stay if you meet a few conditions."

"What kind of conditions?" Princess Bubblegum asked, her voice wavering.

"They want you to get married, Marceline."

"No!" Finn yelled, slamming his fist against the princess' desk. "They can't make her do that!"

"Calm down, Finn," Marceline ordered softly. "You're right."

Hunson sighed. "Honey, I don't think you understand the seriousness of this situation. I think that you need to calm do-"

"No, she doesn't need to calm down!" Princess Bubblegum yelled. "She's lived her whole life being told what to do by one man or another and look at where it's gotten her!"

"If she doesn't comply with their wishes, people, her people, will die!" Hunson retorted.

"Let them die, then!" Finn yelled. "You can't just marry her off to some jerk who doesn't love her!"

Marceline covered her ears. "Stop it!"

The trio stopped their argument and looked at Marceline. Finn put his hand on her shoulder protectively, only to have her shrug it off. He looked down at his shoes, tears stinging his eyes.

"I don't need any of you fighting my battles for me," Marceline said firmly. She placed her hand over her stomach and continued, "Bonnibel, didn't you tell me that sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the greater good?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"This is a sacrifice I have to make." Marceline turned back to her father, tears in her eyes. "Have they chosen my groom?"

"No," Hunson said. "They are allowing you to make that choice, but if you don't have a preference, they have a list of eligible suitors."

"I'll do it!" Finn yelled, taking Marceline's hand. "I'll marry you!"

A smile spread across Princess Bubblegum's face, and Hunson looked relieved.

"Oh, why didn't I think of that?" The princess exclaimed. "That's perfect, Finn!"

"No," Marceline said, her voice barely audible.

"Huh?" Hunson asked.

"I said no. Tell the council to choose someone. I-I need to lie down."

Marceline walked out the door and broke into a clumsy run towards her room. Finn started to follow after her, but Princess Bubblegum shook her head.

"Let me go talk to her," she said.

Finn nodded, and futilely wiped away the tears from his eyes.

Princess Bubblegum went to Marceline's room and knocked softly on the door.

"Go away, Finn," the Vampire said, her voice muffled. "I need to be alone."

Princess Bubblegum opened the door and stepped inside. Marceline was lying on the bed on her side, her knees drawn to her chest and her hand on her stomach.

"It's me," she said, sitting down next to her friend and rubbing her back.

"Go away, Bonnibel."

"Not until you tell me why you won't marry Finn," Princess Bubblegum replied. "I know it's fast, but these are extraordinary circumstances and he loves you more than anything."

"I know. I love him, too."

"What's the problem then, Marceline?" Princess Bubblegum was getting frustrated.

"Because I don't want to ruin his life, okay?" Marceline yelled. "I don't deserve someone as good as Finn. Even Ash was too good for me."

Princess Bubblegum sighed and stroked Marceline's hair.

"Oh, Marmalade, I wish you could see how wrong you are. You're wonderful and beautiful and…Half the people you meet fall head over heels in love with you! I-I know I did."

Marceline looked up at the princess, her eyes wide and ringed black with mascara and lost sleep. Princess Bubblegum pulled the Vampire into her lap, and she buried her face into the pink woman's neck, breathing in her sweet, soft smell. The princess lay her cheek against Marceline's raven hair and felt tears well up in her eyes.

"I can't let them marry them off to some man you don't even know," Princess Bubblegum said. "If you don't want to marry Finn, we can leave. We can go somewhere and no one will ever have to know who we are. Responsibilities be damned."

Marceline, forgetting how weak she still was, tried to float out of the princess' lap and fell to the floor. She quickly stood up and balled her hands into fists.

"You're saying that now?" She yelled. "Twenty years ago when I needed you, all you could think about was your 'royal responsibilities'! Did you expect me to wait all this time?"

"I'd rather give up everything than see you hurt again!" Princess Bubblegum retorted, her hands shaking. "I know that I can't even imagine what you went through with Ash, but I know that I went through hell having to watch it from the sidelines!" Her voice softened and she moved to embrace Marceline. "I can't stand seeing you hurt."

Marceline started to pull away, but she suddenly felt as if her energy was zapped from her body. She fell into the princess' arms and sobbed against her shoulder for a long time. Finally, she spoke.

"I'll do it," she whispered. "I'll marry Finn."

Princess Bubblegum nodded and held her friend closer.

"Are you sure that's what you want?"

"No," she replied. "But it's what I'm going to do."

They stood together for a long moment, before the princess broke their embrace.

"Let's go tell them the good news," she said, forcing herself to smile as she used the pad of her thumb to wipe away Marceline's tears.

The older woman nodded smoothed her hair. She swiped at her eyes using the sleeve of her dress and forced herself to take the first steps towards the princess' office, her pink-haired friend following closely behind her.

When Marceline opened the office door, both her father and Finn stood and looked at her expectantly.

"Finn? Is your offer still good?"

A grin broke out on his face and he ran to Marceline and picked her up with his remaining arm. He kissed her gently and returned her to her feet. She twisted her face into a forced smile and looked at the blond boy, and her heart jumped. All at once, she realized that she had made the right choice.

Huson cleared his throat and Marceline, Finn, and Princess Bubblegum turned to look at him.

"Honey, I've carried this with me for a long time and I guess now's the time to give it to you." He pulled a small, intricate ring from the pocket of his suit and held it out to Marceline. "It was your mother's."

Marceline held out her hand and Hunson slipped the ring onto her finger. The queen was surprised to see tears in her father's eyes. She threw her arms around his neck.

"Thank you, Daddy," she whispered.

Hunson cleared his throat again, this time nervously, and straightened his tie.

"I'll inform the High Council that you will be complying with their wishes. They'll set a date and we'll start our preparations soon." Hunson started to leave, then turned to Finn and shook his hand. "Welcome to the family, son."

"Yeah," Marceline said once her father was gone, a mischievous grin on her face. "Welcome to the family."

Finn smiled and hugged Marceline close to him. He kissed the top of her head and cuddled close to her.

"I love you, Marcy," he put his hand on her stomach. "I'm not ever going to let you guys down. I promise."

"I know, Finn. I know."

The hero hugged Marceline again, and she made eye contact with Princess Bubblegum over his shoulder. She tried to smile, but she couldn't help but feel that their happiness would be short-lived.


	2. Chapter 2

He was standing over her, a sword in his hand. A smile spread across his face and he leaned down to caress her cheek.

"Missed you, Mar-Mar," he said.

Marceline cringed under his touch and closed her eyes. After a moment, her curiosity got the best of her and she opened them again. Instead of Ash staring back at her, it was a strange man with ram's horns growing from his head, one broken off. His face was split, one side that of a vaguely familiar man, the other side a lipless skeleton. Marceline began to scream, and arms clasped around her.

"Marcy, Marcy wake up!" Finn yelled, gently shaking his fiancée. She had started crying ten minutes ago; at first he had tried talking to her and stroking her hair, but he soon began to panic.

"Get off me!" Marceline screamed, lashing out with her fangs.

Finn tried to subdue the vampire, only to feel her fangs sink into his hand. He pulled back and Marceline's eyes flew open. She looked wildly around the room until her eyes landed on Finn, his face twisted up in pain.

"Finn? Are you okay?" She asked.

"What's going on in here?" The chief banana guard burst into the room, his sword drawn.

"Nothing," Finn replied through gritted teeth. "Just a little accident. We're fine."

The banana guard looked suspiciously at the Vampire and the human before slowly backing out of the room and shutting the door behind him.

"Did I bite you, Finn?" Marceline asked quietly.

"No-I mean, you did, but it's fine," Finn replied, hiding his hand beneath the blanket. "It doesn't even hurt."

"Let me see," Marceline ordered.

"It's nothing Marcy, I promise."

"Then let me see it if it's nothing."

Marceline gently took Finn's hand and grimaced. The wound was much deeper than she imagined, and bleeding heavily; her saliva had anti-coagulant properties. Finn went to the attached bathroom and rummaged around until he found a first aid kit. He went back to the bedroom, laid the kit on the bed, and held up his hand.

"Hey, Marcy can you help me bandage-"

Finn stopped midsentence when Marceline shielded her face with her hands and curled up into a ball.

"I'm sorry, Finn, please don't hit me!" She yelled, trying to protect herself and her baby from the non-existent threat.

"Marcy, stop! I'm not going to hit you."

Marceline slowly lowered her hands and looked up at Finn with tears leaving stains on her pale face. She saw the look of pain and hurt in his eyes, and she realized her mistake.

"Oh, Finn I'm so sorry. I didn't mean…I just was scared and…I'm sorry."

"S'okay, Marcy. Can you help me bandage this?"

"Sure thing, hero."

Finn sat down on the bed while Marceline bandaged his hand. They sat in silence for a long time, the queen staring at her hands, the adventurer staring down at his shoes. After the pain in his hand lessened a bit, he spoke.

"You went through a lot with Ash."

It wasn't a question, but Marceline nodded in agreement anyway.

"Him hitting me wasn't even the worst part," she said after some time. "I got used to that after a while. The worst was when he would force me to have sex with him. Sometimes he'd make me get undressed and then he couldn't, well, you know. He'd get so mad that he wouldn't stop hitting me until I started crying…usually when I cried he would get it up. I think he liked to see me hurt."

Marceline stopped talking when she glanced over at Finn and saw that he was visibly sick. She threw her arms around him and buried her head in his chest.

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said any of that."

"No, no, it's okay," Finn said, resting his chin on the top of her head. "I walked in on you guys once. You told me that he wasn't hurting you and I knew better, but I left anyway."

"I remember that," Marceline said. "It wasn't your fault. Bonnibel, Simon, my dad, everybody knew how he treated me, but no one stopped it. I wouldn't let them. Don't blame yourself, okay?"

"I'll try," Finn said. "Marceline?"

"Hmm?"

"I'll never be like Ash. I promise."

"I know, Finn," she whispered, brushing her lips against his chest. "It's just, I guess when you get used to living with fear, it doesn't go away no matter how safe you are."

"That's okay, Marcy," he replied. "I can be patient."

Marceline settled in Finn's arms and closed her eyes. She was enjoying just being next to him when a light knock sounded at the door.

"Queen Marceline? It's Caramella with news from a Vampire named Malum. May I come in?"

"Of course, Caramella," Marceline replied, sliding off of Finn's lap and onto the bed.

The Candy woman opened the door and handed Marceline a piece of paper. She bowed deeply, forcing Marceline to suppress a giggle, and left. The queen opened the message and read it aloud, her eyes growing wider with every word.

"We are delighted to hear of your upcoming marriage to Finn the Human. In celebration of this marriage, we will be holding a royal ball in your honor. Please report to the Vampire Castle at 6:00 this evening. Invitations have been sent throughout our kingdom, as well as to those who out themselves in danger to protect your life."

Marceline looked up at Finn, her eyebrows arched in disapproval.

"These globdamned royal balls are one of the things I hate about being a queen. They expect me to dress up, and act proper and junk!"

Finn smiled and giggled into his bandaged hand.

"What is so funny?" Marceline asked, struggling not to smile.

"Nothing," he replied. "It's just, you sounded like my radical dame again."

The queen smiled and hugged Finn.

"Would you mind taking me to my house, Finn? It's been shut up all this time and I'd like to clean it out before I move into the castle."

"Sure thing, Marcy. I'll help."

Marceline changed out of her pajamas and into a pair of yoga pants and one of Finn's shirts. She looked down at her outfit and scoffed; she wouldn't have dreamed of going out in public like this just a few short months ago. She sighed and stretched on a pair of long gloves and placed her floppy sunhat on her head.

"You ready?" Finn asked.

Marceline nodded and took his hand. They traveled to her house on Princess Bubblegum's Morrow, and the trip only took a few minutes. During that time, Marceline had held onto Finn's waist, her stomach keeping them from being too close. When the bird swooped into her cave and her house came into view, a strange, dull fear rose in her throat.

The Morrow landed on her porch, and Finn hopped off and helped Marceline awkwardly slide down. She momentarily rummaged in her pocket for a key before she noticed that the door was standing open. She glanced from the door, to the busted window, down to Finn's bloody hat lying on the ground. She stooped over and picked it up, turning it over and over in her hands.

"I used it to keep from getting too cut up when I punched in the window," Finn explained.

Marceline nodded. "Guess you need a new one."

"Nah," he replied. "I was getting too old for it anyway."

Marceline nodded again and took a deep breath. She pushed open the door, and stepped into the home where Ash had caused her so much pain. It was silent, and everything was as she had left it. It was messy, as always, but this was the first time that Marceline was embarrassed by its state. Everything from the burn marks on the sofa where she or Ash had fell asleep with a lit cigarette to the discarded beer cans littering the floor provided Finn with a stark picture of the life his fiancé had been living the past few months.

"I'm sorry it's so messy," Marceline said, stepping inside and flipping on the lights. "I guess I didn't have much time to clean."

"No problem," Finn said. "What can I do to help?"

"Um, do you mind looking in the hall closet for a box of pictures and song lyrics? They mean the world to me and I kinda want to make sure they're safe."

"Sure."

"I'll be in here trying to get rid of this mess. Yell if you need me."

Marceline showed him to the closet and he opened it to reveal a jumbled mess. Finn bent over the pile and picked up a black leather dog color, marred by a spot of what looked like dried blood.

"Marcy, where's Schwabl?" He asked.

The queen turned away to hide her expression.

"Ash didn't like dogs," she said simply, walking back to the living room.

Finn carefully turned the collar over in his hands and stared at, his whole body trembling with anger. He remembered Marceline telling him that Schwabl had been a gift from Princess Bubblegum when they were younger, and that the dog had been her best friend ever since. The young hero couldn't believe that anyone would take him away from her. He carefully placed the collar on a shelf and sat down in front of the closet.

After rummaging around for a few minutes, Finn found a cardboard box filled with papers, some new, some yellowed with age. He grabbed one and held it to the light revealing a flyer for a one night only solo show featuring Marceline, held at a bar in the Soft Village. Finn smiled and pulled out another flyer, this one for a performance in the Brimstone Saloon in the Nightosphere. There were similar advertisements from bars all across Ooo. Finn had always known that Marceline was talented, but he'd never realized that she had been so famous.

He dug deeper in the box and pulled out another flyer, this one advertising a club called Guilty Pleasures. It featured Marceline wearing a black corset, fishnets, and high-heeled combat boots. In one hand, she was holding a leather whip, her lips curled into a sultry smile. Finn blushed and put the flyer underneath the others, and started to close the box. Curiosity, however, got the best of him and he pulled out stack of advertisements, the majority of which showed the Vampire in skimpy clothes and erotic positions. His hands shaking, Finn moved onto his knees and looked into the box. More flyers, both for concerts and clubs, stared back at him, along with a few Polaroids of Marceline nude or nearly so. The young hero felt his jeans bulge and he tried to replace everything just as it was when he found it. He was so concentrated on the task at hand that he didn't hear Marceline come up behind him.

"Finn?" She asked. "Did you find the-"

Marceline stopped mid-sentence when she saw the flyers Finn was desperately trying to hide. He looked up at her guiltily.

"I'm sorry, Marcy, I wasn't snooping, honest!"

Marceline sighed.

"It's okay, Finn. That's from when I was younger and I did some pretty…pretty wild things. Mainly to piss off Dad, but, ugh, it's a long story. You wanna hear it?"

"Sure," Finn replied. "If you want to tell me, that is."

"Why not? I mean, you're going to be my husband after all," Marceline said, smiling wryly.

Marceline sat down next to Finn and crossed her legs. She took a deep breath and placed her hands on her stomach.

"Simon took care of me as long as the crown let him, but by the time he left, it was more like me taking care of him. He realized that, I guess, and he left in the middle of the night. Left me a note telling me how sorry he was and how he was going to find a way to get his memory back. By the end it was all gibberish. He signed it as 'Ice King', and I guess that was when I knew I'd really lost him."

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**A/N: Sorry about the relatively short chapter! The next one will be much longer and deals with Marceline's past. Don't forget to leave a review, as they are all very much appreciated! Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

_ "Simon took care of me as long as the crown let him, but by the time he left, it was more like me taking care of him. He realized that, I guess, and he left in the middle of the night. Left me a note telling me how sorry he was and how he was going to find a way to get his memory back. By the end it was all gibberish. He signed it as 'Ice King', and I guess that was when I knew I'd really lost him." _

"I was just fifteen, and all alone. I nearly starved to death. I set up traps like Simon did, but even when I caught things I could rarely kill them. They were just trying to make it too, you know?"

Finn nodded.

"Then I met these ghosts. You remember Wendy, Booboo, and Georgy? They took me in and helped me find food. We lived in this old hotel that somehow made it through all the bombings. It wasn't perfect, but it kept me dry and safe. They would throw these parties that lasted all night, and at first I'd hide up in my room, but eventually I started to join them. After a few months, I started waking up every morning with some stranger next to me, and the first thing I'd do is roll over and pour myself a drink. I couldn't go longer than a few hours without being drunk…" Marceline trailed off and glanced at Finn.

"You sure you want to hear this, hero?" She asked. "It gets a little, uhm, distasteful, to quote Princess Bubblegum."

"It's okay, Marcy. Go ahead."

"Tell me to stop if I upset you," she ordered. Finn nodded, and she continued. "I didn't realize it at the time, but I was pretty out of control. One night, I don't remember it, but Wendy told me about it later, I was up on the coffee table dancing topless. Apparently, one of Dad's underlings was there and he reported back to the boss all about what his daughter was doing.

"The next day, he sends two Demons to give me a message. They told me that he wanted to meet me later that evening at a little diner across town. I should have known something was up, but I went anyway. When I got there, Dad hadn't showed up yet, so I ordered some fries. I went outside to smoke, came back and there he was, sitting at the table, eating them like they were the last fries on earth. I can remember being hurt, just because of the blatant disrespect. I like to remember that as the reason I was mad at him. It's easier to think about that, rather than think about what happened next."

Marceline stopped talking, and Finn looked over at her. She was crying silently. Finn scooted closer to her and put his arm around her shoulders. She buried her face in his chest, and the tears began to come in earnest. She was shaking all over, and Finn wondered what her father could have possibly done to cause her this much pain. He gently rubbed Marceline's back and rested his lips on the top of her head. After a few moments, her sobbing lessened and she pulled away from Finn.

"I sat down to talk with him," she said, wiping her eyes. "And he told me that my behavior was 'crass' and 'embarrassing'. He said that I was going to learn responsibility one way or another, and that he was going to have me turned into a Vampire so that I could take my place as the Vampire Queen. I told him I didn't want to and he snapped his fingers and these men stood up from tables all around us. They were all Vampires that he had hired in case I said no." Marceline winced at a particularly painful kick from the baby. "They grabbed me, and one of them put his hand over my mouth while the others tied my hands and feet together. The guy who owned the diner just stood there, his head down, scrubbing the counter like we weren't even there. I kept crying for somebody to help me, but nobody did.

"They took me to an abandoned warehouse somewhere in the city. I think they drugged me, because everything I remember is hazy. They...They hurt me, Finn."

"What'd they do?" Finn asked innocently.

"They raped me," Marceline whispered. "All of them. Then their leader bit my neck." Her fingers touched the scars from her long-healed wound and she shuddered. "They brought this lamb in, and it was bleating and trying to get away, but I was so hungry…I tore it to pieces. When I woke up the next morning, I was naked, covered in blood, and alone in this huge bed in the Vampire Castle. I was the Queen, and I had no idea how to run a country. That was fine with Daddy, though, I was out of the way and not embarrassing him."

Marceline paused, and looked over at Finn, judging his reaction. He was staring at her, fascinated by the story she had kept hidden for so long.

"What happened next?" He asked. "I mean, if you want to tell me."

"For a long time, not a damn thing happened. I was pissed, of course, but mostly I was scared. I went from not caring if I woke up the next morning to having a whole kingdom full of people relying on me, and I had no one to talk to. Everyone treated me like I was untouchable or something. I thought it was because they were scared of my dad, but I guess they were scared of me too. The only Vampire that didn't shy away from me was my maid, Amelia. I think I have a picture here somewhere…"

Marceline lifted herself to her knees and dug around in the back of the closet until she found an old, tattered box. She opened it and rummaged around inside for a moment before finding the picture she was looking for. It showed her as a young teen, sitting next to an older vampire woman dressed in a black and white maid's outfit. They had been caught mid-laugh, their fangs gleaming. Finn smiled and handed the picture back to Marceline.

"I got really stressed out from everything, and I was drinking more than ever. For a long time, Amelia would just sneak the empty bottles out of my room so no one else would see. When it got to the point that it was obvious to everyone, she started pouring everything I brought into the castle out. I tried to hide it, but Amelia could find my booze no matter what."

Marceline chuckled.

"Anyway, she could tell that ruling the kingdom was taking a toll on me, and she came to me in the middle of the night with a bag of clothes and the little bit of money she could sneak out of the royal vault without it being noticed. She told me to leave and not look back. She said…she said that the kingdom was wearing me down, and that if I didn't get out now, I never would. So I left. I took the clothes and money Amelia packed for me, a picture of me and Simon, and my axe base. I didn't know where I was going, just that I wanted to go far away. Turns out, I didn't make it any further than the Candy Kingdom."

"Is that when you and Princess Bubblegum became friends?" Finn interrupted.

"Well, yeah," Marceline replied. "But we were more than friends. Didn't you know that?"

"You mean you and PB were…together?" He asked, staring at her with wide eyes.

"You really didn't know?"

Finn shook his head.

"I thought everyone knew…I mean, especially after I sang that song to her when the Door Lord stole our stuff. Anyway, I got to the Candy Kingdom around two in the morning, and I was hungry. My body needed blood, but all I could think about was finding some mac and cheese or some spaghetti or something I ate before everything fell apart. I climbed over the castle walls and was going through the garden when Bonnibel stopped me.

"She had puzzling through some problem or another. At first, she acted all haughty and, well, like a princess should when she finds a strange Vampire in her garden in the middle of the night, but then I told her that I was tired and hungry. She snuck me in past all the guards, and into her room. She let me shower and change clothes, and when I got out, she had tomato soup waiting for me. She was the first one who bothered to explain to me that I didn't have to kill to get food, that I could just drink the shades of red and not hurt anyone or anything. Apparently, it's a sign of weakness to other Vampires, but it was a way for me to eat without feeling like a monster, so I greatly welcomed it.

"Bonnibel let me stay with her that night, and the next morning, she introduced me to her father, the Candy King. He seemed like a kind, older man and was more than willing to allow a friend of her daughters to live in the castle, especially since his daughter rarely ever made friends. Although I never told him that I was the famous Vampire Queen who abandoned her kingdom, but I think he knew just the same. The whole time I was in the castle, I was worried that the King would call my father to tell him where I was, but he never did. I think it was because he was glad that Bonnibel had a friend.

"We had so much fun together. Once," Marceline said, laughing, "I asked her where the seediest place in the kingdom was, and she pointed me to the Candy Tavern. I wanted her to sneak out there with me, but she said that everyone would recognize her. So I found this black wig, dressed her up in my clothes, pretty much gave her a complete makeover. We snuck out to the tavern and stayed all night. We danced, and listened to the music, and Bonnibel told me later that she'd never had more fun. It was so late by the time we left that we had to race to get home before the sun went up. When we got back to her room, she gave me back all my clothes, except for my t-shirt. That's the one the Door Lord stole."

Marceline smiled, lost in the memory of the princess: the smell of her hair, her voice, the way her eyes lit up when she was excited.

"Our friendship didn't turn into something else overnight. It think it took Bonnie a while to realize it was possible to have feeling for another girl. Every now and then she would ask me to hold her hand in public and, although it looked like two friends to everyone on the outside, we could feel that little spark when our fingers touched. This went on for quite a while, and although I knew that I had feelings for her too, I didn't want to rush things. So I waited and waited and waited, and finally, one day when we were sitting on the roof watching the sun go down, she kissed me."

Marceline studied Finn's reaction and suppressed a giggle when his eyes widened. She had forgot just how much she loved his naivety; it was a trait she had found incredibly endearing even the first night they had met, when she had discovered him and Jake living in her former treehouse. The queen held out her hand, and Finn took it.

"You don't mind hearing about me and Bonnibel, do you?" She asked.

"Nah," he replied. "I like it. Hearing about your past and stuff, I mean."

Marceline tried not to laugh again at the blush creeping along Finn's cheeks. She scooted closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder. After she collected her thoughts, she continued.

"We started dating in secret. Everyone in the castle thought we were just best friends, but, truthfully, I was sneaking into her room every night. I felt like I was worth something for the first time since Simon left." Marceline's eyes filled with tears again, but this time she was determined not to cry. "I loved her, Finn. I still do."

Finn looked at Marceline with an unmistakable look of hurt etched on his face. Marceline realized what she'd said, and winced.

"Oh, Finn. I didn't mean it like that…It's complicated, okay? I mean, she was my best friend, and I guess she was my…my first love."

"It's okay, Marcy," Finn said, squeezing her hand. "Really. Go on."

"You sure?"

Finn nodded. Marceline shrugged and put her head back on his shoulder.

"The Candy King caught us one night. He came in to give Bonnibel a goodnight kiss. He pulled me out of her bed so hard that he dislocated my shoulder, and he marched me through the castle, naked and crying. He threw me out and told me that I was banished from his kingdom. Bonnie convinced one of her servants to bring me my clothes, and I ended up sleeping in a tree just outside the castle walls. I watched the king yell at Bonnie, and berate her until she cried. He told her that she had responsibilities, and that he wasn't going to be alive forever. Nobody else knew then, but the Candy King was dying.

"Bonnie and I bided our time until we could see each other. The Gumball Guardians had orders to kill me if I set foot in the castle's walls, so we had to be careful. Bonnibel had the idea to give one of her newest creations, Cinnamon Bun, notes to pass along to me. One night, Bonnibel asked me to transform into a bat and meet her in the garden. I asked her if it was safe, and she said that no one would be paying attention to her, so I agreed.

"When I met her, she said that her father was very sick, and that he was in the process of giving the kingdom over to her. She was crying, and I tried to hold her, but she pushed me away. She said that we couldn't be together anymore, because she had responsibilities. I told her that responsibilities weren't as important as love. She said," Marceline's breath hitched, and a tear slipped down her pale cheek. "She said that she hated me and that she never wanted to see me, or any of my people, again. I humiliated myself, begging her to run away with me, and she just walked away. I left the Candy Kingdom later that night.

"I started flying south, even though I was crying too hard to see where I was going. I stopped when I couldn't push myself any further. I found an abandoned house that was still in pretty good shape, so I moved in. Even though I tried to be careful, I ran through my money pretty fast, and I had to look for a job. I tried waitressing, but I kept getting fired for being rude to customers, so then I tried to get gigs in the clubs and bars. I got some, but they were too few and far in between to really help me. I was playing out on the street one day when I met this nice older man who told me about a little place that would really appreciate my talent. I should have known better, but I was hungry and I wouldn't steal or hurt anyone, so I went. Turns out, it was a strip club. I told him no at first, but I came back a week later, desperate. He let me start that night."

Marceline fell silent, remembering how much she had hated standing in front of all those men, dancing for them, taking off her clothes as bad, repetitive music pounded in her ears.

"They nicknamed me 'The Mistress', and I guess my act got really popular, because they started using me as the headliner. After a while I started to…I don't know, enjoy it. I mean, men wanted me to treat them like shit, stuff like whipping them and calling them names right in front of everyone. After what I'd been through, I was more than willing to do that. And the money? It was great. I never had to worry about going hungry again.

"The only downside was the club owners. They all expected me to sleep with them, and they told me that if I didn't, they would fire me. I know I shouldn't have done it, but I was too afraid to tell them no. There was one guy, Leo, he was as scummy as the rest of them, but different in some way. He came over to my place one night and after he fucked me he went to take a shower, and I started working on some stuff on my bass. I guess he heard it and thought I was good, because he booked me to play in his bar. That gig got me a few more, and I never had to strip for money ever again. It was just me and my music.

"I even started touring around Ooo. It was nice, getting to see all these places I'd never been. One day, I get this letter from the owner of the Candy Tavern. He wanted me to play. At first I said no, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to go back. Two weeks later, I was back in the Candy Kingdom."

Marceline picked up the flyer from the concert she had given at the tavern and studied it. She could almost smell the cigarette smoke and stale beer that had permeated the Candy Kingdom's only bar, and she smiled wistfully. A part of her missed stepping out on stage to a crowd of screaming, often drunken, fans. She briefly wondered if she would be as happy with her life as a mother as she was when she was so used to living only for herself, but the soft movement of her child dispelled her worry.

"My one night only show turned into two nights, and the owner asked me if I could do it again the next weekend. I don't know why I said yes, but I did. As I was leaving, I met Ash for the first time, and he just seemed so sweet and charming, so I went home with him. I expected him to kick me out in the morning like most of the guys I'd been with, but he didn't. He said he really liked me."

Marceline tried to meet Finn's gaze, but she couldn't. Instead, she studied her sharp fingernails and closed her eyes for a moment. Despite her love for Finn, and everything Ash had put her through, a small, secret part of her missed him more than anything. She brought her knees up to her chest and hid her face while struggling not to cry again. Finn felt a lump rise in his throat, and he placed his hand on Marceline's back. She stiffened at first, and Finn was afraid that she would push him away, but she leaned back into his touch. They stayed like that for a long moment before Marceline spoke again, her voice muffled.

"He wasn't always mean, Finn. He loved me at first…I think."

Finn froze for a brief second, his hand hovering in the air as he reached up to stroke Marceline's hair. He took a deep breath and tried not to be too upset by what his fiancé had said. Jake had warned him, after he learned that his brother had started a relationship with Marceline, that she would have a lot of issues to work through after being with someone who was so abusive for so long. Despite the warning, however, Finn had never imagined that it would be so painful for them both.

After a long while, Marceline's sobs became quieter and eventually stopped. She wiped her eyes on her gloves and hugged Finn close to her. She was silent for a long time, and Finn nearly jumped when she spoke again.

"Nothing much interesting happened after that," she said, her voice still thick with emotion. "We lived in Ash's house for a while, but it was a bit cramped, so I used a pretty big chunk of the money I'd saved to build the treehouse. We moved in there, and it was great for a long time. Then, Simon found out that I was living there and he kept visiting me. Ash got really pissed off, and he tried to fight him, but I was scared that he would hurt him. I insisted that we just move somewhere else, so we found the cave and built another house. We were only together about a year after that, and he got worse and worse. Nothing compared to how he treated me the last time he moved in, but I still spent every day stoned out of my mind so it wouldn't hurt so much when he screamed.

"One night, we were arguing about money, and he said he needed me to do something for him. He told me to sleep with one of his friends, some wizard I can't even remember now. I said no, but he started beating me, and he said he'd stop if I agreed. I didn't have a choice, so I did, and I saw him paying Ash afterwards. I realized that I was right back where I was before, and that scared me. I should have kicked him out right then, but he came to the bedroom and held me, and he told me that he was sorry and that he only made me do that for my own good. I guess I believed him, because I fell asleep in his arms that night. The next day, he sold Hambo and I guess I just snapped.

"I was on my own again, and I hated it. I flew to Bonnibel's castle, just because I wanted to be close to someone who cared about me. She saw me and came out on the balcony to talk. She tried to kiss me, but I was scared and I flew away. She found out where I lived, and she kept sending me messages and gifts, that was when she gave me Schwabl, but I guess I was afraid to let anyone get close to me again. I guess I couldn't handle it anymore, so I took off again. I played when I needed to eat, but most of the time I just tried to live for myself. I did a bit of everything while I was gone, but only if it made me happy. I was sick of always being someone's bitch."

Marceline smiled at Finn and ruffled his hair. He giggled and playfully pushed her hand away.

"Then I came back and found you two dorks living in my house. You know what happened after that, I guess."

Finn nodded.

"Thanks for telling me all that, Marcy," he said.

"Are you sure you still want to be with me after…all that I've done?" Marceline asked, looking at Finn with eyes full of hope.

He gently guided Marceline face to his, and he kissed her deeply.

"I'll always want to be with you," he said firmly.

"You're sure you don't mind me being, I don't know, damaged goods?"

"Don't say that, Marcy. I didn't offer to marry you because I had to, you know. I want you to be my wife no matter what happens, or has happened. I love you."

Marceline threw her arms around Finn's neck and hugged him. While she was holding him, he glanced behind his back and saw the clock.

"Oh dang, Marcy it's getting late. We should probably head to the castle."

"Okay," Marceline agreed. "I just need to run up to my room and get some clothes."

Finn and Marceline walked hand in hand up the stairs and to her bedroom. They stepped inside, and the Vampire froze, staring at down at the carpet near her bed. Finn's stomach clenched when he saw the large, red stain on the floor, and the bloody knife lying next to it. He watched for Marceline's reaction, expecting another round of tears, but she calmly walked to her closet and pulled out her few pairs of yoga pants and a few of her more stretched out t-shirts. She laid them on the bed and turned to her nightstand. She stopped and inhaled sharply at the framed photograph staring back at her. It featured her and Ash, standing together on the day they moved into the tree house, staring at each other with love; It was the twin to the one Ash had been carrying with him the day he had tried to kill her.

Without warning, Marceline grabbed the photo and hurled it at the wall, sending glass flying around the room. It was soon followed by her alarm clock, a box of tissues, and the book she had been reading the night that she had told Ash that she was pregnant. Once the nightstand was clear, she moved around the room, knocking things down and throwing everything she could lift. Finn watched in horror, and a slight fascination, until Marceline lifted her most prized procession, her axe base, above her head and started to bring it down against the hard wood floor.

"No!" Finn yelled.

He wrestled the bass from Marceline's hands and tossed it safely on the bed. Marceline fell to her knees, sobbing, and Finn sunk down beside her. He rocked her back and forth, and prayed that there would soon be a time when the Marceline he remembered was back for good.

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**A/N:Thanks for reading! Did Marceline do the right thing telling Finn about her past? I appreciate all reviews!**


	4. Chapter 4

Finn and Marceline arrived at the Vampire Castle a few minutes late, and they were instantly met by a short, nervous man who introduced himself as their new butler, Thurston.

"There's so much to do before the ball, Queen Marceline, but you have some important visitors to attend to first. A Mr. and Mrs. Aldrich, from the Wizard Kingdom."

Marceline's grip on Finn's hand tightened and Finn looked over to see her face full of fear.

"Who is that, Marcy?" He asked.

"Ash's parents," she replied. "What the fuck do they want?"

"I-I don't know, Your Majesty, they just said they wanted to see you. Sir Malum approved the meeting."

Marceline nodded.

"Take me to them," she ordered.

She and Finn followed Thurston down the vast front hall, through a maze of corridors, and, finally, to a small, intimate meeting room.

"Introducing Queen Marceline Abadeer, ruler of the Vampire Kingdom," he said, opening the door.

Marceline made a mental note to stop the formalities when she was around, but her thoughts were interrupted when a thin, white-haired woman enveloped her in a hug. The Vampire was too surprised to do anything but return the hug and she felt the woman's bony fingers and large rings dig into her back.

"Hello, Portia," Marceline said when the woman released her. "How are you?"

"Oh, we've been absolutely distraught since we lost our son..." Portia glanced at her husband. "Cassius and I never even got the closure a funeral would provide, seeing that your father saw it fit to burn his body."

Marceline tensed and Finn's started to speak, but he was interrupted by Cassius.

"We've came here to offer you a wonderful opportunity, Marceline. May we sit?"

"Yes, of course," the queen said, taking her place at the head of the table. "You're dismissed for now, Thurston."

The servant bowed deeply and left the room, closing the door behind him. Finn sat down next to Marceline and the Aldrich's, sitting across the table, stared at him for a few moments before he realized that he hadn't been introduced.

"Excuse me," he apologized. "My name is Finn the Human. I'm Marceline's…" Finn trailed off, and he blushed when he realized who he was talking to.

"He's my fiancé," Marceline finished for him.

Portia raised her eyebrows. "You certainly move fast, don't you, Marceline?"

The queen smiled sweetly.

"Well, yes, now that I figured out all I was missing."

Finn's eyes widened. He had never seen Marceline act this cold before, and he wondered what kind of relationship she had with Ash's parents during their time together. Portia pursed her lips and folded her hands.

"Marceline, we didn't come here today for you to attack the good memory of our son. As Cassius said, we came to make you an offer."

"What would you possibly want to offer me, Portia?"

"The opportunity for your life to go back to normal," she said, leaning forward. "Cassius and I are prepared to adopt our grandchild once he or she is born."

Finn turned to Marceline, afraid of what her response might be. Although the baby she was carrying wasn't his, he still loved it simply because it was a part of Marceline, and he couldn't stand the thought of it being raised by Ash's parents. To his relief, the queen looked shocked and a little angry.

"Now, before you say no," Cassius said hurriedly, "you must consider a few things. First, Portia and I can provide full-time care for the child, and he or she would not be raised by nannies as I'm sure would be the case here. Additionally, we have kept a close watch on your behavior since you became involved with our son, and we believe that you are not quite capable of taking care of yourself, let alone a child. And to be quite honest Marceline," Cassius prepared himself to give the final blow of his obviously rehearsed speech, "Portia and I deserve something from you, considering you took so much from us."

Marceline tried to form the words she wanted to say, but she was so shocked that she stared at Portia and Cassius open-mouthed. Finn realized that her hands were shaking, and he unconsciously prepared himself for the screaming that was sure to start as soon as Marceline found her voice.

"What could ever make you think that I owe you something?" Marceline asked, struggling to keep herself in control.

"Ash was a good boy until you came alone!" Portia yelled. "You took him away from us and his child is the only thing we have left! You can't take it from us, too!"

"Portia, it would be in your best interest to refrain from raising your voice to me in my own kingdom," Marceline said, her voice full of ice. "And furthermore, I don't think that you have a globdamned clue what Ash did to me while we were together. If you did, you certainly wouldn't be calling him a 'good boy'."

"What are you talking about, Marceline?" Cassius asked, his voice softening.

"He was an abusive jerk," Marceline said, forcing herself to hold their gaze. "He made my life a living hell, and he would have killed me if I wasn't a Vampire."

"I don't believe you!" Portia screeched. "You're just a lying, worthless whore!"

Before Finn could stop her, Marceline had stood and pulled up her t-shirt, revealing her stomach and breasts. Finn's eyes grew wide when he realized that she was covered in scars, some long, deep slashes, other the perfectly round circles of cigarette burns.

"This is what he did to me, Portia! If I didn't have dinner ready on time, or get undressed fast enough, or if he'd had a shitty day, this is what happened! Is this enough proof for you, or do I need to take off my pants and show you those scars too?"

Finn gently took Marceline's hand and lowered her shirt. She started to pull away from him, but he was insistent and she felt very weak. She stumbled backwards and sat in her chair, her face pale. Finn placed his hand on her shoulder and turned to Portia and Cassius, who were still staring at the queen, eyes wide.

"I think you need to leave," Finn said. "Marceline and I will not be giving up _our _child. Thurston will show you to the door."

Finn turned back to Marceline and gently brushed her hair away from her face. She looked sick, and Finn realized what an emotional day it had been for her.

"Thurston will show you to the door," he repeated, this time forcefully.

"I can't leave my grandchild to be raised by someone as unstable as her! She's obviously insane!" Portia protested.

Cassius sighed and firmly took Portia's arm.

"Look at her," he whispered, gesturing to Marceline. "We've done enough. Come on." Cassius led Portia to the door, stopped, and looked back at the couple. "I apologize for upsetting you, Queen. If you change your mind, please don't hesitate to call."

Finn watched Cassius close the door behind him, then sat down and pulled Marceline into his lap.

"You okay, Marcy?" He asked.

"I just want this to all be over. I wish I'd never met Ash."

Finn clumsily hugged Marceline with his remaining arm and tried to comfort her. She had finally relaxed a bit when Thurston knocked on the door, then entered without waiting for a reply.

"Queen Marceline, the ball is in half an hour. You and Sir Finn are needed upstairs to get dressed." Thurston squinted at Marceline and saw how shaken she looked. "Are you okay, my queen?"

"Fine," Marceline answered. "Please inform the guards that The Mr. and Mrs. Aldrich are not to be allowed back in the castle."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Thurston led Marceline and Finn upstairs and pointed them to separate rooms to get dressed. Finn was somewhat reluctant to leave Marceline after all that she had been through over the day, and the queen could sense his discomfort.

"Finn, we're surrounded by guards. I'll be fine," she reassured him, kissing him on his forehead. "Anyway, if I were you, I'd be more worried about being in a room full of Vampires later tonight."

Marceline winked at Finn and tried to walk away sexily, but she settled instead for an awkward waddle. Finn giggled and his eyes followed his fiancé until she closed the door.

"She was joking, wasn't she, Thurston?" Finn asked.

The butler shrugged and left Finn alone to dress in the clothes laid out for him.

Forty-five minutes later, Marceline was dressed and ready to be announced to her subjects. She was wearing a floor-length chiffon gown in black with red accents. It had been designed to draw attention away from her belly, and it did its job well. One of Marceline's countless servants had twisted her hair into a bun, leaving two long strands loose to frame her face. A black tiara with red jewels rested on her head. She felt beautiful for the first time in a long time, and she couldn't wait for Finn to see her.

In the opposite entrance to the ballroom, Finn tapped his foot nervously and tried to calm down. He knew that Marceline had only been teasing his earlier, but he couldn't help but wonder how he would be received by the kingdom. He wanted everything to go as smoothly as possible, for Marceline's sake.

Both he and Marceline were jolted from their thoughts when the band stopped playing and Thurston's voice boomed throughout the hallway.

"Thank you all for gathering to celebrate this joyous engagement. Allow me to introduce our queen, Marceline, and our future king, Finn the Human!"

Marceline stepped forward into view of her subjects, and she was met with applause. Finn followed her a few seconds later, and they joined hands and descended the staircase together. The band started a slow song, and the couple made their way to the dance floor.

Finn wrapped his arm around Marceline's waist, and they swayed together in time to the music.

"Where'd you learn to dance, hero?" Marceline asked, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Jake taught me. He said that no lady can resist a man who can dance."

"I think he was right," Marceline giggled.

Finn blushed.

"You look beautiful, Marcy," he whispered.

As they glided around the dance floor effortlessly, Finn studied the faces of the Vampires around him. Most of them were enamored with their dates, but the few that weren't seemed happy for their queen. Finn was relieved, and he allowed himself to relax and enjoy dancing with Marceline.

When the song ended, Finn felt a light tap on his shoulder. He looked back and saw Jake, still confined to his wheelchair, behind him.

"Hey buddy!" Finn exclaimed. "I was wondering if you guys had made it."

"Aw, I wouldn't miss your engagement party for the world!" Jake said. "I was a little hurt that I had to find out about you getting married from some invitation, though. Me and Simon both."

Finn blushed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm sorry Jake," he said. "I've been so wrapped up in everything lately, I just didn't think about telling anyone."

"It's cool," Jake replied. "But we do need to have a little chat. Man to man."

Finn looked from Jake to Marceline, and the queen smiled.

"You guys go on," she said. "I should go find Bonnie and Simon."

"Okay, Marcy." Finn pecked Marceline on the cheek and it was her turn to blush; the queen wasn't used to such chaste kisses.

Finn led Jake away from the crowded ballroom and down the hallway to the servants' quarters. They were empty, as everyone was busy tending to the needs of the guests. Jake looked around to be sure that they were alone, then turned back to Finn. He stared at his brother for a moment, and stretched his hands so that he could place them on Finn's shoulders.

"I didn't say anything when I found out that you and Marceline were dating, but marrying her is going too far. You can't do it." Jake said.

"Why not?" Finn asked, shrugging Jake's hands from his shoulders.

"You're eighteen years old, Finn. Getting married, especially to a woman who's having another man's kid, would ruin your life. Not to mention the fact that you'd have to be turned into a Vampire."

"I love her, Jake. And she's a part of my life now, whether you like it or not." Finn said. "I want you to be a part of my life too, but only if you can accept Marceline and our child."

"You need to understand something about that kid," Jake said, his anger obvious despite his low tone. "That kid is nothing but some wizard demon freak. Marceline fucked up, let herself get pregnant, and now she's looking for someone to dump her mistake on."

"What the hell, Jake? Where's all this coming from?" Finn asked.

"I just want to watch out for you, bro," Jake said. "You're too young to be involved with someone like her, and I don't think you really understand what you're getting yourself into. Do you have any clue how she made money when she was younger?"

"She told me everything earlier today," Finn said through clenched teeth. "And I couldn't care less. All I care is that she will never, ever have to do something like that again, because I'll be there to take care of her. Jake, you're my brother, and I know you want to watch out for me, but I'm not a little kid anymore. I'm going to be with Marceline, and that's final."

Jake studied the ground, then slowly met Finn's gaze.

"You're sure about this, Finn?"

"More than anything."

"Then I guess I can't stop you." Jake held out his fist, and asked hopefully "Still bros?"

"Still bros," Finn said, reluctantly bumping Jake's fist with his own.

While Finn and Jake talked in the servants' quarters, Marceline searched for Princess Bubblegum and Simon. She thought she caught a glimpse of pink hair across the dance floor and tried to follow it, but a tall, dark-haired Wizard stepped in her path.

"So this is the lovely Queen Marceline," the man said, his voice low and melodic. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Cyrano, an ambassador from the Wizard Kingdom."

Cyrano took Marceline's hand and kissed it, studying her engagement ring as he did so.

"As you know, relations between our nations have been unsteady, to say the least. I was sent today to…smooth things over. Champagne?"

The Wizard plucked a glass from the passing waiter's tray and held it out to Marceline. She looked around for Finn, and when she didn't see him she accepted the glass and drained it one gulp. Although she knew that it was bad for the baby, the queen couldn't resist the bubbly alcohol.

"I see that they're keeping you on a tight leash," Cyrano smiled. "Would you like another?"

"Hmm? Oh, no, thank-you though. Finn wouldn't be happy if he saw me drinking," she explained.

"Ah yes, the young hero groom. Would he be unhappy if I asked for a dance from you, Queen Marceline?"

"I don't think he'd mind," Marceline replied, wishing that she could refuse without looking rude. For some reason, Cyrano made her very uncomfortable.

The wizard took Marceline's hand and led her in an expert tango. Marceline looked around for her friends, but she didn't see them. As Cyrano twirled and dipped the queen, she began to feel very light-headed, and she clung to the Wizard so that she wouldn't fall.

"I think I'm…Ugh. Need to sit down."

Marceline couldn't even form a correct sentence. She tried to lead Cyrano towards the rows of chairs lined up against one wall, but he gave no indication that he heard her. Black spots clouded her field of vision, and her body went limp in the Wizard's arms and he smiled as he swept the helpless queen towards the exit.

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A/N: Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review!


	5. Chapter 5

Marceline was floating against an endless expanse of stars that stretched around her in every direction. The dull pains that had plagued her since Ash's attack were gone, and she felt no fear. Her baby stirred inside her and she placed her hand on her stomach. The queen closed her eyes, and let herself be carried through space.

When she opened her eyes again, she was sitting at the head of a long oak table. A large owl, the owl that had visited Marceline's dreams several times in the past week, sat at the opposite end of the table, a porcelain teapot in one wing. Without speaking, he poured two cups of tea and handed one to the Vampire. She absentmindedly stirred the brown liquid and stared at the owl before her, waiting for him to speak.

"The time of peace in Ooo is over," the Cosmic Owl spoke without looking up at the queen, and his voice seemed to come from every direction at once. "Beware the horned man who wears a familiar skin, for he will try to sway the Precious Lamb."

Marceline stared at the owl, wanting to speak but unable to do so in the presence of his sheer power.

"Drink your tea," the owl ordered.

Marceline obediently took a drink, and instantly spat the liquid back out, coughing violently. Instead of the tea that had been in her cup only moments before, she had drunk blood for the first time in eight hundred years. She looked towards the owl to see that he was gone, and she was slowly falling away from the table.

"She's waking up."

Marceline's eyes fluttered open and she squinted against the bright fluorescent lights shining above her. Hunson stood on one side of her bed, Finn on the other. They were both looking down at her hopefully.

"Marcy?" Finn asked. "Are you awake?"

"What happened?" Marceline mumbled.

"Marcy!" Finn hugged his fiancé tightly and buried his head in her hair.

Hunson cleared his throat and Finn stood up, his face burning.

"You're in the castle infirmary," Hunson said. "You were drugged by a visiting ambassador from the Wizard Kingdom."

"He tried to kidnap you," Finn interrupted. "Thankfully, Lady Rainicorn saw him trying to carry you out and she yelled for me and Jake. You've been out for six hours."

"Is the baby…?"

"He's fine," Finn said, beaming.

"He?" Marceline asked, tilting her head.

"One of the doctors did an ultrasound when they brought you in," Finn answered. "It's a boy!"

Marceline smiled and pulled Finn down to kiss her. She placed one hand on the side of his face, the other in his hair, and held him close to her for a long time. She only released the hero when her father made a slight noise of disapproval.

"I'm going to let everyone know that you're awake, Marceline," Hunson said. "I trust that you two can behave yourselves until I get back?"

"Yes sir," Finn squeaked.

When the door closed behind Hunson, Finn sat down on the bed next to Marceline and took her hand.

"You scared me, Marcy." He said, staring down at their intertwined fingers. "I can't help but think what would have happened if Lady hadn't been outside."

"Don't worry about it, Finn. You and Jake would have saved me anyway; you just might have had to travel a bit further to do it. What was it that he wanted to talk to you about earlier?"

"Oh, uh, he wanted to congratulate us on the engagement," Finn lied.

Marceline cast her eyes down and bit her bottom lip.

"He's not happy that you're marrying me, is he?" She asked.

Finn sighed.

"No, he's not. But he said that he won't stop me. Not that he could," Finn added. "I hope you don't mind, but I still asked him to be my best man. He'll get used to idea of us being together, eventually."

"Of course," she replied. "I was kinda thinking of asking Bonnie to be the maid of honor. If that's okay with you, I mean."

"That's perfect," Finn said, smiling.

Finn was leaning in to kiss Marceline when they heard a curt knock at the door. He jumped back, remembering Hunson's warning, and nearly fell off the bed. He regained his balance just as the door opened and a tall, imposing Vampire walked in. He was wearing a black double breasted suit, and his shoulder-length gray hair was perfectly combed despite the late hour. Finn was suddenly very aware of his own suit and hair, made wrinkled and messy by the hours spent by Marceline's bedside.

"Hello, Malum," Marceline said, sitting up a bit straighter in the bed. "This is my fiancé, Finn."

"Hello, Queen Marceline, King Finn. May I sit?"

"Please," Marceline replied.

Finn once again marveled at the way Marceline changed when she was attending to royal business, everything from her mannerisms to body language to speech patterns.

"Have they caught my attacker? The ambassador?" Marceline asked.

"Yes," Malum replied. "He is in the dungeon as we speak. His attack has prompted us to rethink a few things, though. The date of your wedding, for one."

"What do you mean, Sir Malum?" Finn asked.

The elder Vampire chucked.

"Please, there is no reason to call me 'sir'. I'll be answering to you soon enough. Anyway, the High Council feels that it would be best if we moved the wedding up a bit, to next month would be best."

Finn and Marceline exchanged a glance.

"If that's what you think is best," Marceline replied.

"We do," Malum said, folding his hands. "The wizard kingdom learned of our plans for their ambassador, and they have officially announced their intentions of war. We're no longer in times of peace, Queen, and we feel that you're marriage to Finn will greatly increase the morale of everyone."

Marceline was reminded of her dreams, and she shivered.

"That will be fine," the queen said.

"Wonderful," Malum smiled. "Now that just leaves us with the issue of Finn's transformation, and who will complete it."

"Can't Marcy do it?" Finn asked.

Malum looked at the human, confused, and then turned to Marceline, who was looking down in shame.

"You've not told the boy how Vampires are transformed, have you, Queen?" He asked.

"No."

"What about it?" Finn asked worriedly.

"The Vampire that turns a mortal has to die in the process," Malum explained. "He or she has to give up their very life force to the one that they transform. I'm surprised you didn't already know."

"I didn't want to upset him before it was necessary," Marceline said, her head down.

"I-I can't let someone die to change me!" Finn exclaimed. "I'm a hero! I save people, not kill them!"

"It's the only way to be transformed," Malum said.

"It's okay if you can't, Finn," Marceline whispered, her voice small and quiet. "I understand if it's asking too much."

"No, Marcy…I'll do anything to be with you, and you know that. I just hate the idea of someone dying."

"We have a whole dungeon full of criminals waiting to be executed," Malum interrupted.

"So, they'd die anyway?" Finn asked.

"Yes. Any one of them can transform you."

"Okay," Finn said after some consideration. "When do you want to do it?"

"As soon as possible," Malum answered. "We feel that there is a good chance that our kingdom will be attacked again, and it would be best if you are at your strongest."

"No!" Marceline exclaimed. "I mean, it's so soon. Can't it wait a bit?"

"Marcy, you don't want me to be a vampire, do you?"

Marceline looked away from Finn.

"I'm just afraid that you will regret it and hate me," she whispered.

"I will remind you, Queen Marceline, that Finn must become a Vampire in order to marry you."

"I'll never regret it as long as I have you, Marceline," Finn said, stroking his fiancé's hair.

"Are you sure?"

"More than anything."

Finn kissed Marceline's forehead and turned back to Malum.

"Can we do it now? Get it over with?" He asked.

Malum looked at Marceline questioningly and she hesitated, then nodded.

"I'll have one of the prisoners brought up, and the room next door prepared for your transformation."

Malum left the room and Marceline threw her arms around Finn and hugged him. She clutched the back of his suit with both hands and didn't let him go for a long time. When she did, she brushed his hair away from his face and looked into his eyes.

"Remember that time I pretended to turn you and Jake into Vampires, hero?" She asked, smiling sadly.

"I remember," he replied. "You pinched my neck and used ketchup for blood."

"Not going to be like that this time. This time it's real. No going back, you know?"

"I know," Finn said, brushing his lips across the top of Marceline's head. "Hey Marcy, is the baby going to be a Vampire?"

"No," Marceline said. She had been dreading the question for a while now. "Vampirism isn't inherited."

"Oh, Finn replied. "But we can turn him, right? I mean, if not we would live forever and he…wouldn't."

"That will be his choice when he gets older, I guess," Marceline said, absentmindedly running her hands through his hair.

"Okay."

Finn visibly relaxed, and Marceline realized for the first time just how much Finn loved her baby. She wondered if she could ever love Ash's child with as much strength as Finn did, and her hand found its way to her stomach. The hero placed his own hand on top of hers, and she smiled up at him.

"I'm going to be a daddy," he whispered, his eyes growing wide. "And you'll be a mommy."

Marceline giggled at Finn's sudden realization.

"Yes, that tends to be how it works," she said.

Finn smiled, his eyes still wide, and rubbed her stomach gently. Marceline was overcome with love for Finn, and her eyes filled with tears. They were threatening to spill over when a Malum knocked on the door and looked inside.

"We're ready for you, King Finn," he said.

Finn stood up and hugged Marceline.

"You're not coming?" He asked.

"No, it'd be better if I didn't," she replied.

Finn nodded, kissed Marceline gently, and followed Malum out the door. The Vampire sunk back into her pillows and placed her hands over her face. She lay in silence for a moment before she heard the door open and soft footsteps approaching her bed. She moved her hands and looked up to see her father standing at the foot of her bed.

"I told all your friends that you're safe," he said. "I had Thurston set up rooms so that they wouldn't have to travel back tonight."

"Thanks Dad," Marceline said. "They're turning Finn into a Vampire right now."

"I know. It's not what you wanted, is it?"

"No," Marceline admitted. "I didn't want to fuck up his life. I don't want this baby. I don't want any of this."

Hunson sat down in a high-backed chair next to Marceline's bed. He tried to look at his daughter, but he couldn't bring himself to face her.

"Finn told me what you said earlier today. About when you were transformed…and what happened."

Marceline rose up in bed and stared at her father.

"He told you that? That jerk!"

"He didn't want to Marceline. I can read mind, remember? I could sense that he was upset with me for some reason, so I pressed until he told me. Don't blame him."

"I never meant for you to find out about that," Marceline whispered.

"I could have had all those men killed for what they'd done to you if you had just told me," Hunson said. He coughed nervously. "I never meant for them to hurt you, honey."

"Well it doesn't matter," Marceline snapped. "They did and it's over."

Hunson sighed.

"I know I've failed as a father, Marceline, but I would appreciate it if you didn't throw it in my face every time we talk."

"I wasn't throwing anything in your face, I was simply-"

Marceline was interrupted by a scream of pain from the next room. She scrambled off the bed and ran out the door, dodging her father as he tied to stop her. She threw open the door looked around wildly for Finn. He was standing in the center of the room, head down, his hand on his neck, blood running from between his fingers. A Vampire in prisoner's clothing lay at his feet, dead. Marceline tried to run to Finn, but Malum held her back.

"Be careful, my Queen. He hasn't eaten yet."

Marceline watched as one of the servants brought a platter into the room and sat it before Finn. He removed the lid revealing a plate of plump strawberries and stepped back quickly. Finn sniffed the air and looked down at the platter before moving with an unnatural speed to attack the fruit. Marceline had made it very clear that Finn was never to be offered blood, and she was pleased that they had complied with her wishes.

The queen stared at Finn, unable to take her eyes off him. He was paler than before of course, but other than that, he looked the same. Marceline was relieved; she knew that the transformation affected everyone differently, and she was glad that Finn had stayed nearly the same, at least in appearance. She could only hope that his personality had stayed the same as well.

When Finn had sucked the red from the last strawberry, he looked around the room. When his eyes fell on Marceline, she smiled and he ran to hug her. Finn, unaccustomed to his new strength, picked Marceline up with his arm and nearly dropped her in surprise.

"Sorry, Marcy," he said, gently placing the queen back on her feet.

He leaned into kiss Marceline, but she gently pushed him away. He looked at her, confused.

"Nothing personal, hero," she said, "but you're covered in strawberry juice."

Finn smiled, pecked Marceline on her cheek despite her protests, and went to wash his face.

"What do we do now, Malum?" Marceline asked.

"We wait, my queen. We wait."

Marceline nodded and put her hands on her belly. She stared at the mess her fiancé had made and tried to ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Please leave a review to let me know what you think, and any suggestions you may have for me to improve the story or my writing!**


	6. Chapter 6

Marceline and Finn spent the month leading up to their wedding in a flurry of activity. Marceline had ordered the Vampire army to increase its ranks, and Malum's companies had begun producing weapons at twice their normal rates. The queen had tried several times, under the watchful eyes of her most capable guards, to meet with high-ranking politicians from the Wizard Kingdom, but they had been unable to reach any agreements. They negotiated for the safe return of their ambassador, but they refused to sign a peace treaty, so Cyrano had been executed.

In addition to her duties as a queen, Marceline had been called upon to make decision after decision about her upcoming wedding. She had been fitted for her dress, a red mermaid-style gown with white beading. She had chosen the menu for the event, and it was decided that the wedding would take place in the castle's main ballroom, and the reception in the gardens at sunset. Marceline and Finn had chosen who would be in the wedding party, and the ceremony was planned down to the final detail.

Finn had spent his time learning how to be a Vampire, and studying the history and laws of the kingdom he would soon rule. He was away from Marceline for most of the day, but they always made a point to have dinner together. They usually dined with visiting dignitaries or other Vampires, but whenever they didn't have guests, they would take their meal outside on the top floor balcony. They would often hold hands while watching the sun go down, and Finn had never felt happier or more content with his life.

Every night, Finn and Marceline would retire to separate rooms until the whole castle was asleep, then the hero would sneak into his fiancé's room and crawl into bed with her. He would hold her, caress her hair, and kiss her, but they never went any further. Although Finn often felt himself wanting to, he knew that Marceline simply wasn't ready, so he waited patiently. Sometimes, Finn would feel the baby kick and lay his head on Marceline's stomach and talk to him for hours. The baby was more active when Finn talked, and Marceline often scolded the hero, but he couldn't help it.

The day before the ceremony, Marceline lay on her bed while Princess Bubblegum examined her. She was there for the wedding rehearsal later that evening, and had decided to give Marceline her second check-up of the week a bit early.

"You're doing wonderful, Marceline," the princess said, stripped off her gloves. "You've not been smoking any more, have you?"

"No," Marceline sighed. "You threatened to stake me if you caught me again."

Princess Bubblegum smiled. She sat down next to the queen and took her hand. She was silent for a while, but Marceline could tell that she wanted to say something.

"Spit it out, Princess," she said.

"Are you happy?" Princess Bubblegum asked, turning to look at her friend. "With the baby and Finn and everything?"

"I'm happy to be with Finn," she answered after much consideration. "But I still wish I'd never seen Ash. I love the baby, but I don't want it. Him," Marceline quickly corrected herself. "If I had it to do over again, I would have never let myself get pregnant."

"Do you think that will change when you have him?" Princess Bubblegum asked.

"I don't know, Bonnie. I hope so, but I just don't know. Glob, you must think I'm awful. I mean, what kind of mother doesn't want her own kid?"

"No," Princess Bubblegum shook her head. "I don't think you're awful at all. To be honest, I can't quite warm up to the idea of you being a mother myself. I mean, I know you'll be good at it, I just can't picture you wiping snotty noses or reading bedtime stories."

Marceline chuckled.

"Me neither, Bon-Bon. Me neither. But Finn is really excited about it, and I'm trying to be excited too."

"That's great," Princess Bubblegum said. She looked away from Marceline, hiding the tears that had formed in her eyes. "That's great."

"Don't do this to me, Bonnie," Marceline whispered. "Not today. Please."

Princess Bubblegum nodded and wiped her eyes. She walked over to Marceline's closet and pulled out the dark purple, knee-length gown made for the rehearsal. She carefully spread it out on the high-backed chair next to Marceline's bed and smiled at her friend.

"You better get dressed," she said. "Rehearsal's in an hour."

Princess Bubblegum turned to leave, but Marceline grabbed her hand and gently turned her around.

"Bonnie, wait."

Princess Bubblegum looked at the queen with her eyebrows raised.

"Never mind."

Marceline watched Princess Bubblegum leave, the unsaid words they had built up for so long hanging in the air between them. The Vampire sighed and slipped out of her clothes and into the dress. She braided her hair and put on enough makeup to cover the dark circles under her eyes. Marceline looked in the mirror, forced herself to smile, and went to find Finn.

That night's wedding rehearsal went smoothly. Marceline had insisted in a simple ceremony, consisting only of the royal vows. The committee in charge of planning the wedding had given Marceline this small victory, and had gone on to make everything else as lavish as possible. The queen had feigned annoyance, but she saw how happy Finn was, and she allowed the committee to do what they wanted.

The rehearsal dinner was held in the castle's small dining room. Marceline and Finn sat at the head of the table, surrounded by Jake, Lady Rainicorn, Princess Bubblegum, Simon, and Hunson. BMO and Neptr were sitting in the corner playing a card game. Thurston, along with an army of kitchen staff, served the food from ornate silver platters, and opened bottle after bottle of red wine from the castle's cellar. Marceline enjoyed being around all her friends, and she realized just how lonely she had been when she was with Ash.

When the dinner was eaten and everyone was reminiscing about the adventures they had together, Marceline noticed Thurston standing near the door, looking bored.

"Come sit down with us, Thurston. Take a break!" She said.

"Oh, no Queen Marceline, I couldn't-"

"Thurston," Princess Bubblegum said, giggling, "as a princess, I order you to sit down!"

"You better listen to her," Simon said. "She is a princess!"

Thurston shrugged and sat down at the table. Marceline smiled, but she was a bit concerned about Princess Bubblegum being drunk. She'd never seen her friend take more than a few sips of wine before, but she had counted at least four glasses within the past hour. She tried to put the worry out of her mind and concentrate on the conversation.

"Oh, bro, I forgot to tell you," Jake said. "Jermaine is going to make it tomorrow after all. He bought train tickets this morning."

"Radical!" Finn exclaimed. He hadn't seen his adoptive brother in a few years.

"Will your parents be attending the wedding, King Finn?" Thurston asked.

The room fell silent, and Thurston realized he had made a mistake.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"It's okay, Thurston," Finn said. "Really. My Mom and Dad are dead. They died when I was ten, and Jake took me in." Marceline placed her hand over Finn's and smiled at him reassuringly. "I don't know who my biological parents are."

Hunson coughed and nearly dropped his glass in surprise.

"You've never been told about your biological parents?" He asked.

"No, I've never known anyone who knew them," Finn replied. Sudden realization crossed his face. "Why, did you?"

"Not personally," Hunson replied. "Look Finn, it's a long story. After dinner, why don't we make a quick trip to the Nightosphere and I can tell you all about it."

"Sure!" Finn exclaimed.

Finn tried to make small talk throughout the rest of the meal, but Marceline could tell that he was uninterested in anything but what her father knew. She was surprised that he had never mentioned knowing about Finn's parents, and wondered when their paths had crossed. Hunson rarely had anything to do with mortals, unless he was sucking their souls.

After the dessert course had been eaten and the last glass of wine drank, Finn and Marceline showed their guests to their rooms for the night and met Hunson back in the dining hall. He had loosened his tie and drawn a smiley face on the wall, then doused it in bug milk.

"You kids ready?" Hunson asked.

"Yeah!"

Marceline smiled and grabbed Finn's hand. She noticed that he was shaking, and realized just how important it was for him to find out where he came from.

"Maloso vobiscum et cum spiritum!" Hunson chanted.

The castle wall cracked open and a fiery portal opened. Hunson stepped through and looked back at his daughter and her fiancé. Finn looked at Marceline, suddenly unsure. She nodded and together they stepped through the portal.

They found themselves in Hunson's office. The room was dominated by a large black desk; behind it stood a black leather chair, with two matching chairs in front. Behind the desk was a huge window that looked out on the chaos and destruction of the Nightosphere. Hunson gestured for Finn and Marceline to sit down while he studied the spines of old leather-bound books on a floor-to-ceiling shelf.

"It's okay," Marceline whispered, smiling at Finn.

"Here it is!" Hunson exclaimed.

He pulled a book from the shelf and took his place behind the desk.

"Now Finn, this may be a bit hard for you to hear," Hunson warned.

"I don't care," Finn said. "I just want to know who I am."

"Very well," Hunson replied. "As you know, humans are prized as a delicacy among both the Rainicorn and Demon peoples, but they were all but extinct because of the Great Mushroom War. A group of Rainicorn scientists were working in Ooo when they discovered a lost tribe of people, remarkably similar to humans living underground in a near-utopian society. Many of these humans were mutated, some more than others, with the most common mutations ranging from the presence of gills to a full fish body on their heads.

"The Rainicorns approached me about a plan to create a human without the genetic mutations, and I put my top scientists on the job. Together, the Demons and Rainicorns catalogued every mutant, and chose two who were as close to normal as possible for their breeding program. The male, M-2519, was considered to have an average intelligence and body type, with the presence of gills, although they were somewhat under-formed. There's a picture in here somewhere…"

Hunson opened the book and flipped around until he found the page he was looking for. He turned the book around, and Finn and Marceline leaned in to look. The picture showed a tall, lanky blond man who greatly resembled Finn. The hero inhaled sharply and looked at Marceline.

"Your father," she whispered.

Hunson nodded.

"The woman, F-2887, was the least mutated of all, with no gill presence. She was heavily muscled, tall, and her intelligence was listed as 'under average'."

Hunson turned the page, revealing a woman who was quite familiar to Finn.

"Susan Strong!" He gasped.

"You know this woman?" Hunson asked. "It was assumed that she was dead."

"That's Susan Strong! I discovered her living underground and…It's a long story. What happened next?"

"Well," Hunson replied, "The female, Susan, became pregnant after several years of trying. The scientists were beginning to think she was sterile as a result of the radiation, but her pregnancy was discovered just before they shut the project down. Over the next nine months, F-2887 was kept under careful watch. During that time, someone let it slip that her child would be bred for food, and she was greatly upset. She claimed that she loved her child, and wanted to keep it. That night, she and M-2519 ran away. They were tracked to a nearby mountain range, and M-2519 was killed in a stand-off with two of the Demons sent to recover them. F-2887 escaped, and was never found. I put a stop to the project, as I felt it was too risky for such little reward. We assumed that the female died, along with her baby, until I met you. When I saw Marceline with you the first time, I was surprised but I thought you knew already."

Finn stared at Hunson for a long moment.

"Susan is my mom," he whispered. "And I was born…to be food?"

Hunson sighed.

"Originally, yes. I can understand that you'll need some time to process all this and I completely understand. I can take you back to the Vampire Kingdom and we can ta-"

Hunson was interrupted when the door to his office swung open.

"Hey, King Abadeer, I was…Mar-Mar?"

Finn turned around and reached for his sword behind his back. A cold panic gripped his heart when he realized that it was back in the Vampire Castle.

"Stay the fuck away from her, Ash," Finn warned.

Finn stepped between Marceline and Ash, his fists in front of him.

"Ash, this is a bad time," Hunson said. "Please come back later."

"I'm so happy to see you, Mar-Mar!" Ash cried.

Marceline stepped out from behind Finn, gently pushing him away, and looked at Ash.

"What are you doing here?" She asked struggling to keep her voice even.

"Did you expect me to make it to the 50th dead world? Nah, Mar-Mar, I'm evil, remember? Glob, I've miss you so much."

Ash stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Marceline. She flinched, and did not return the hug, but she didn't pull away either. Finn felt tears spring into his eyes as he watched Marceline's hands gently rise to Ash's back. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up to see Hunson, his mouth set in a tight frown.

"Mar-Mar, can you ever forgive me?" Ash asked.

"Get away from her!" Finn tried to sound strong, but his voice came out whiney and childlike.

"Hush, Finn," Marceline ordered, her voice thick with emotion.

Finn stepped back, shocked and confused.

"You know what, Ash?" She whispered in his ear.

"What, babe?"

"You come near me or my child or my husband and I'll rip your throat out!"

Marceline slapped Ash, leaving three long, bloody scratches on his face. Before anyone could react, he pulled back his fist and punched Marceline with all his strength. She fell on the ground, and Ash kicked her, aiming for her stomach. Finn grabbed him by his hair, just as Ash had grabbed Marceline so many times before, and threw him out of the office, closing and locking the door behind him.

"What the fuck is he doing walking in your office like he owns the place?" Finn screamed, turning on Hunson.

"I didn't want you two to find out about this," Hunson said. "Ash works for me. He sought me out after I killed him and I realized just how powerful he is. I would be a fool to waste his potential because of what happened with Marceline!"

Finn looked at Hunson in disgust and helped Marceline off the floor. He led her through the open portal, closing it behind him, ignoring Hunson's protests. Finn pulled Marceline close to his chest and she buried her face in his suit. When she pulled back, Finn gently took her face in his hands and examined her eye. It was already swelling and turning purple from Ash's punch.

"It's not too bad," he lied. "Want me to get some ice to put on it?"

"No, I think I'm just going to go to bed," Marceline replied.

"Okay. Everyone's asleep; I'll just go with you."

Marceline looked down.

"Finn, I think I need some time alone, okay?"

"Oh, yeah, that's fine," Finn said. He was confused and hurt.

"It's not that I'm mad or anything, Finn," Marceline assured him. "I just need some time to think. I'm sure you do to, after learning everything about your parents."

"Yeah, you're right," Finn said. "See you tomorrow."

Finn kissed Marceline and she hugged him tightly before going to her room. As much as she loved the hero, she was having trouble processing everything that had happened that day, and felt that she could do it much better alone. The queen opened her drawer and found a simple silk nightgown and slipped it over her head. She didn't bother to unbraid her hair before falling into bed, exhausted.

Marceline was just drifting into sleep when someone knocked on her door. Groaning, Marceline stood up and opened the door, expecting to see Finn. Instead it was Princess Bubblegum, wearing a thin nightgown and holding two bottle of wine.

"You didn't get a bachelorette party," the princess giggled. "So we're gonna have one now!"

"Bonnie, you're drunk. Go back to your room," Marceline said.

She tried to lead Princess Bubblegum back to her room, but she pulled away and flopped down on Marceline's bed.

"I brought wine," Princess Bubblegum called in a sing-song voice.

"You know I can't drink. You're the one who said that, remember?"

"Fuck it, you only get married once, right?"

Marceline sighed and took one of the bottles from the princess. She dug the cork out with her fingernail and tipped it back. As soon as the red liquid poured down her throat, Marceline felt herself relax.

"What's on your mind, Bonnie?" She asked.

"Nothing. Everything," Princess Bubblegum replied. "So, did you find out anything about Finn's parents from your dad?"

Marceline took another long drink from the bottle and sat it down, realizing that it was now only a third full.

"Yeah. Turns out, he's the result of some breeding experiment that Demons and Rainicorns started to raise human meat."

"That's donked up," Princess Bubblegum said. "Oh Glob, what happened to your eye?"

"Ash," Marceline replied.

"Huh?"

"He's working for my dad in the Nightosphere."

Without warning, Marceline began to cry. She drained the wine bottle and took the other from Princess Bubblegum.

"He walked into the office and-and he said my name and it just felt so good. He hugged me and I realized how much I miss him. I want him back, Bonnibel. I know it's crazy, but I want him back."

"Oh, Marcy, no," Princess Bubblegum whispered. "You were with him for a few minutes, and look, this is what you got for it."

Princess Bubblegum used her thumb to trace the bruise around Marceline's eye. She pulled the Vampire into her lap, and looked into her eyes for a long moment. Before she could talk herself out of it, the princess leaned down and kissed Marceline gently. She pulled away and looked at the Vampire, waiting for her reaction. Much to the princess' surprise, Marceline pulled her back in for a second kiss, this one more urgent than the last. The princess slowly undid Marceline's braid, and ran her fingers through her hair.

Princess Bubblegum found the straps to Marceline's gown and slipped them off her shoulders, revealing her small breasts. Marceline wrapped her legs around Princess Bubblegum's waist and leaned into her body. She found the princess' nipple with her mouth and nibbled at it gently before sinking her fangs into the sensitive flesh and drinking a bit of the pink from her body. Princess Bubblegum let out a high-pitched moan of pleasure and pain, and pushed Marceline onto her back.

She gently straddled the queen, careful not to press on her stomach, and trailed her lips down from her neck, to her breasts, the swell of her stomach, and over one of her thighs. Princess Bubblegum gently parted the queen's legs and lowered her head. Marceline moaned and tangled a bit of the princess' gummy hair around her fingers.

After a few moments, Marceline ran her hand down Princess Bubblegum's back and positioned her fingers outside her opening. When she entered her, the princess moaned and pushed back against Marceline's hand, meeting her thrusts. Soon, the queen felt an orgasm run through her body, the first she'd had in a long time, and Princess Bubblegum's body clenched around her fingers. They fell back on the bed in each others arms and fell asleep within seconds.

The next morning, Marceline woke up surrounded by warmth.

"Morning, Finn," she mumbled, turning over to cuddle with her fiancé.

Marceline nearly screamed when she saw that it was Princess Bubblegum, rather than Finn, sleeping next to her. She scrambled off the bed and stared at the woman who had been lying next to her.

"Bonnibel, wake up!" She screamed.

Princess Bubblegum shot up in bed and looked around wildly.

"Marceline? Ugh."

The princess lay back against the pillows and rubbed her forehead.

"What's going on, Marcy?" She asked.

"We got drunk and fucked last night, Bonnibel. Don't you remember?"

"I do," Princess Bubblegum whispered.

The two women stared at each other in silence for a long time. Marceline kicked the blankets around on the floor until she found her nightgown and slipped it on. She busied herself by brushing out her hair, waiting for the princess to leave. When she didn't, Marceline turned around and looked at her, lost for words.

"Finn will be awake any minute," she managed to say. "You better go back to your room."

"What?" Princess Bubblegum looked hurt. "You mean you're going to go through it? Last night didn't mean anything to you?"

"What are you talking about, Bonnie? We got drunk, and made a mistake. Why would that change anything?"

"You're still going to marry Finn?"

"Of course I am! You can't honestly expect me to drop everything because we fucked, can you?" Marceline cried.

"No," Princess Bubblegum replied, her head down. "I guess not."

The princess pulled on her nightgown and smoothed her hair before storming out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Marceline sat down on the edge of her bed and placed her head in her hands. She felt the tears come, and wondered how she could ever face Finn again.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reading! How do you feel about Finn's parent? Ash's reapparence? What happened with PB and Marceline? Leave a review and let me know!**


	7. Chapter 7

Marceline sat in front of her mirror as an army of makeup artists and hairdressers put the finishing touches on her appearance for the ceremony. They had long since stopped trying to engage the queen in conversation, as she was lost in her own thoughts. While everyone assumed that her mind was on her marriage to Finn, it was everything that had happened with Princess Bubblegum that was troubling her. Marceline couldn't help but think that she had ruined her marriage before it even started.

One of the hairdressers placed Marceline's royal crown on her head and stepped back.

"Are you pleased, Queen Marceline?" She asked.

"Yes. Thank you all," Marceline said, studying her reflection in the mirror.

The Vampires bowed and left the queen to attend to her bridesmaid, Princess Bubblegum. They had only been gone a moment when Marceline heard a knock at her door. She stood up and smoothed her dress, and mentally prepared herself to see Finn. She hadn't seen him since the incident with the princess, and she couldn't imagine facing him just yet.

"Oh, Simon, it's you!" Marceline said when she opened the door and saw her old friend.

"Who were you expecting? You know, it's bad luck for the groom to see his bride before the wedding," he laughed.

"Yeah…" Marceline suddenly started to cry.

"Hey now, what's this?" Simon asked. "Why are you crying?"

Simon closed the door behind him and led Marceline over to her bed.

"I did something bad last night, Simon," she whispered. "Real bad."

"I'm sure it couldn't have been too bad, Marcy. What was it?"

"I slept with Bonnibel."

"Oh," Simon said, adjusting his glasses. "That is bad."

"I know," Marceline cried. "I went to the Nightosphere last night with Finn, and we found out that his mom is still alive and then Ash showed up and-"  
"Wait, Ash?"

"Yeah, apparently Dad excused him from eternal torment to be his right hand man or something. Anyway, Ash came into Dad's office while Finn and I were in there, and he hugged me, and it made me realize that I…I miss him. Even though he hurt me again, I still miss him."

"Is that where you got that black eye?" Simon asked.

"Oh Glob, I thought they covered it!" Marceline exclaimed, covering her eye with her hand.

"Relax, Marcy, you can't see it now. But the whole castle is abuzz over it. They think it was Finn. That's why I came to see you actually; I know Finn didn't do it, and I had to know who did."

"Yeah, it was Ash," Marceline whispered. "I told him to stay away from me, and I slapped him, so he punched me. But anyway, after I got back from the Nightosphere I was upset and I told Finn I needed some time alone, so I went to my room, and then Bonnie showed up, drunk. She offered me wine, and I know I shouldn't have, but I took it and then…it just happened. Finn's going to hate me."

Simon closed his eyes, took off his glasses, and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was silent for a long time, and Marceline could feel guilt twisting her heart.

"Marceline, do you want to marry Finn?" Simon asked.

"Of course," Marceline responded. "I love him."

"Well then, I think maybe you should put everything that happened last night out of your mind, and leave it there."

"You mean I shouldn't tell Finn?"

"Some things are better left unsaid, Marceline," Simon said. "I was just in Finn's room, and he's so excited he could barely sit still. He worships you, and he could never hate you, but knowing about what happened with Bonnibel would break his heart."

Marceline considered what Simon had said.

"I think you're right," she said after a few moments. "Thanks Simon."

Simon hugged the queen tightly and planted a kiss on the top of her head. They sat in silence for a long while, enjoying each other's company, until a light knock sounded at the door.

"Queen Marceline? It's time," Thurston called through the open door.

"Be right out, Thurston!" Marceline said, turning to Simon. "Let's do this."

Simon nodded and took Marceline's hand. The queen had insisted that both he and her father walk her down the aisle, and the wedding committee had reluctantly agreed. Hunson, who had always been a little jealous of Simon, had been hurt, but Marceline felt that Simon deserved the honor. Thurston led Marceline and Simon down a large staircase and to the ballroom, where all the members of the wedding party were waiting in front of the oak French doors.

Princess Bubblegum was wearing a knee-length black gown with an empire waist, and her hair was twisted up into an elegant bun. Jake, who was leaning heavily on a cane, was dressed in a black suit with a red bow tie, identical to Simon and Hunson's. BMO and Neptr were playing on the floor, and they ran over to hug Marceline's legs when she walked in. Hunson was standing in the corner by himself, anxiously watching his daughter.

"Marceline," he said, "last night…It wasn't what you thought. You of all people should know the importance of keeping your enemies close, and I-"

"Dad, don't," Marceline ordered. "Just save it. We can talk about it later."

"Very well," Hunson replied.

An awkward silence fell on the room. Marceline tried to make eye contact with Princess Bubblegum, but the princess looked away. Before she could, however, Marceline noticed that her eyes were swollen and her mascara was ever-so-slightly smudged, and guilt ran through the queen's body. She turned to see Jake staring at her, his mouth set in a tight frown. Marceline tried to smile at him, but she couldn't twist her face into the proper expression. She knew that Jake had told Finn not to marry her, and she was beginning to wonder if he had been right.

Before long, Marceline heard music and the Vampire guards, wearing their dress uniforms, opened the door to the ballroom. Princess Bubblegum and Jake walked in first, arm in arm. They were followed by BMO, who scattered red rose petals down the aisle, and Neptr, who was carrying the rings on a plush pillow. When the music changed to the traditional wedding march, Simon and Hunson positioned themselves at either side of Marceline, and they hooked their arms around hers. She took a deep breath and together, the trio entered the ballroom.

Vampires, Candy people, visiting royalty, and countless people that Finn and Jake had helped over their years of adventuring were packed into the ballroom. When they saw Marceline, they stood and watched as she made her way down the aisle. Finn, standing at the altar next to Jake and a Vampire High Priest, felt happy tears fill his eyes. He had always thought Marceline was beautiful, but seeing her like that took his breath away.

When Marceline stepped onto the altar, Simon and Hunson went to their seats and the queen took Finn's hand in both of hers.

"You're beautiful," he mouthed.

Marceline smiled and looked into Finn's eyes as the priest began to chant. She studied his wide grin, the scar above his eye from his encounter with Ash, and the way his blond hair fell haphazardly around his face, despite the work he had put in to it. In a moment of sudden realization, Marceline saw that Finn truly loved her. He wasn't marrying her for convenience, or to get something in return, but because he wanted to be with her. Marceline felt herself tear up, and she squeezed Finn's hand.

As the priest's Latin chant turned monotonous in Finn's ears, he stared at Marceline, remembering the day they first met. He wondered what his twelve-year-old self would think if he saw him now. He supposed that his younger self would be shocked that he was getting married, even more so when he saw his choice of bride. He'd spent the first few weeks after meeting Marceline thinking that she was an evil, blood-sucking monster. His grin widening, Finn realized just how wrong he had been.

The young hero felt momentary panic when Marceline began speaking, but he calmed as soon as he realized she was just saying the traditional Vampire vows.

"Ego, Marceline, suscipio te, Finn, sicut meus maritus, habere ac tenere in felicitas et in litis, in opulentia, in paupertas, n morbus et in salus, amare et colere stituens is dies et aeternum."

Finn repeated the vows, and sighed with relief as soon as they were over. He had been studying them ever since he had learned that he would be required to say them in Latin, and he was glad to have gotten them out without making any mistakes.

"Present the rings," the priest ordered.

Neptr stepped forward and presented the rings to the couple. Finn slipped Marceline's ring onto her finger, and she did the same for him. The priest gave the order, and Finn pulled Marceline close for their first kiss as a married couple. Their guests cheered, and they walked down the aisle together, followed by the wedding party.

When Finn and Marceline, hand in hand, stepped out into the gardens, they were bathed in a warm glow from the setting sun. Finn initially jumped, afraid of being burnt, but Marceline squeezed his hand and gently pulled him towards the long, raised table that stretched across one side of the garden's empty space. They sat side by side, facing their guests, and looked out at the transformed garden.

The decorators had hung paper lanterns around the perimeter of the garden, and their light cast a soft glow on the grounds. Over a hundred small tables had been set up, and at the center of each was a small bouquet of red roses cut fresh that morning from the plants that surrounded them. Each place setting was elaborate, more so than even Princess Bubblegum was used to. Marceline made a mental note to reward the decorators for their hard work as soon as things settled down.

Before long, an army of Vampires servants brought out silver platters of food, while others came around serving drinks. Marceline reluctantly refused a glass of champagne, and opted for tomato juice instead. Along with Finn, the queen clinked her glass with the rest of the wedding party, and the dinner officially began.

As the night went on, and the alcohol flowed more freely, Marceline noticed that the tension that had hung heavy over their table was beginning to dissipate. She had kept a careful watch on how much Princess Bubblegum drank, and she had discreetly ordered the waiter to cut her off after her fourth glass of wine. The princess had been belligerent at first, insisting that she wasn't drunk, but Simon had leaned over and whispered something to her, and she had calmed down.

After the dessert course was eaten, Jake stood and tapped his class to get everyone's attention. The room fell silent, and he began the short speech he had written.

"When our parents first brought Finn home, I begged them to take him back," Jake began. The guests laughed, and Jake visibly relaxed. "But over time, I got pretty fond of the little guy. We've been on some pretty crazy adventures over the years: toting the Royal Tarts for Princess Bubblegum, playing detective for Lumpy Space Princess and," Jake smiled mischievously, "getting stuck in Marceline's closet. Now, it's time for Finn to start a new adventure, this one without me. Marceline, take care of him, and I wish you both the best of luck."

The guests clapped and Jake hugged the couple. When Marceline put her arms around him, she felt his spine straighten, and she wondered if Jake would ever trust her. Hunson stood to give his speech, and Marceline found it to be dry and obviously rehearsed. Simon declined to give one, but he slipped a letter to Finn and Marceline with instructions to read it later. Finn tucked it into his suit jacket so that he wouldn't forget about it later that night.

Finally, Princess Bubblegum stood up to give her speech. Marceline noticed that she wobbled bit as she walked to the microphone, and the queen vaguely wondered if she had drunk more than she thought. Marceline put the thought out of her mind and squeezed Finn's hand.

"I've known Marceline and Finn for a long time," Princess Bubblegum said. "I have to admit, I was always a little jealous of Finn: his carefree nature, his lack of responsibilities, his unstoppable optimism. And now it looks like I have one more thing to be jealous of, and that is Marceline."

The wedding guests looked at one another nervously. Finn stared at Princess Bubblegum with wide eyes, and a blush rose on Marceline's cheeks.

"I'm not the first person to have her heart broken by Marceline, and I'm sure I won't be the last. Marceline-"

Simon stood up, took Princess Bubblegum's arm, and tried to lead her off stage.

"Get off me!" The princess screamed.

Simon managed to get her off the stage, and Marceline followed them. Thurston gave a frantic hand signal to the band, and they started playing. Before long, the guests started to the dance floor, and the awkwardness of the moment slowly fell away. Finn sat, tapping his foot nervously for a few moments before he started to get up.

"Dude, I'll go find them," Jake said. "You stay here."

"Okay, man," Finn agreed reluctantly. He sat back down and twirled his glass nervously.

Simon had taken Princess Bubblegum to the edge of the forest, out of ear-shot of the guests. He had sat her down on a fallen tree stump and was holding her wrists gently, murmuring to her and trying to calm her down. When she saw Marceline march towards her, the princess stood up and pushed Simon away.

"What the fuck was that, Bonnibel?" Marceline asked.

"Calm down, Marceline, she's-"

"Stay out of this," Marceline snapped.

Princess Bubblegum started to cry quietly.

"Why are you doing this to me?" She asked.

"Why am I doing this to you? Why are you doing this to me?" Marceline retorted. "Why can't you accept that it's over?"

"Because I don't want it to be!" Princess Bubblegum cried. "I need you, Marcy. You're the only one who's made me feel that a person instead of just a princess. Didn't last night mean anything to you?"

Jake was walking towards the women, but he hid behind a tree as soon as he heard what the princess was saying.

"Last night was a mistake, and that's all it was, Bonnibel. I love Finn. I never should have touched you!"

Jake had heard enough. He snuck back into the reception and sunk down in the chair next to Finn.

"Did you find them?" Finn asked.

"Uh, yeah, they'll be back soon," Jake lied. For some reason, he couldn't tell Finn what he had heard.

On the edge of the forest, Marceline had wrapped her arms around her friend.

"Bonnie, you're the smartest woman I know, and I care about you. I always will. But I'm with Finn now, and that's just how it is. Please don't make this any harder than it already is, okay?"

"Okay," Princess Bubblegum whispered. "I'm sorry about everything. Can you ever forgive me, Marceline?"

"Of course I can, Bonnie," Marceline said. "We better get back before they worry about us, okay?"

"Okay," Princess Bubblegum agreed.

Marceline, Princess Bubblegum, and Simon started back towards the reception when they were met by Malum. The elder Vampire was red-faced and breathing heavily.

"Queen Marceline, they're marching…burning…coming to the kingdom…"

"Calm down, Malum," Marceline ordered sharply. "Who's marching?"

"The Wizards!" He screamed. Taking a deep breath, he tried to explain. "There was an explosion in the Wizard City center a few hours ago, and a man rose from the crater it made. He's leading troops from their kingdom towards us, and they're burning everything in their path."

"Which direction are they coming from?" Princess Bubblegum asked.

"From the south, Princess," Malum replied. "The Candy Kingdom should be safe. What do we do, my Queen?"

"Send out troops to meet them, as many as you think are needed. Secure all entrances to the kingdom, and have all the guests escorted home or boarded into the castle. Where are they now?"

"In the Soft Village. According to all reports, everything is gone. At this rate, they'll reach us by nightfall tomorrow."

"Go carry out my orders," Marceline said. "We don't have time to lose."

Malum ran off to do as Marceline said, and the queen started towards the garden to find Finn, but he nearly ran into her.

"Marcy, did Malum find you? Did he tell you what's going on?" He asked frantically.

"He told me, Finn. We need to prepare the…"

Marceline trailed off, and her face turned impossibly pale. She swayed backwards, and Finn caught her carefully.

"Marcy? Are you okay?" He asked, panic rising in his voice. "Marceline?"

Marceline's eyes rolled back in her head and she fell limp. Finn noticed, as an icy fear ran through his body, the bright red fluid pooling as his wife's feet.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in updates, and my awful Latin. Thanks so much for reading. Please leave a review and tell me what you think and how it can be improved!**


	8. Chapter 8

Finn sat next to Marceline, holding her hand. His eyes were closed, and his lips were moving in a silent prayer. The hero couldn't believe how quickly the joy of his wedding had been replaced with the fear and uncertainty that now hung over the Vampire Kingdom. With the Wizard army coming to attack the kingdom, and Marceline's collapse during the wedding reception and her subsequent unconsciousness, Finn wondered what he had done to deserve everything that had happened.

Finn replayed the events of the past few hours over and over in his head, trying to remember if he had done anything wrong. He had run to Marceline after finding out about the Wizard Kingdom's impending attack, and he had caught Marceline when she became too weak to stand. When he realized that she was bleeding, he had carried her to the castle's infirmary, running faster than he thought he could.

The first few minutes after coming to the infirmary were a blur of doctors, nurses, and shouted orders that Finn's terrified mind couldn't process. They had taken off Marceline's now ruined dress and, when they saw where the blood was coming from, they tried to usher Finn away. He had stood his ground and stayed in the corner, tears streaming down his face, while the doctors had examined the queen.

They had said that she was going into labor early. Finn had asked if she and the baby would be okay, but the Vampire doctors had ignored him. They had temporarily stopped the labor, as it was still too early for the queen to give birth, but they still refused to tell Finn anything more. The closest thing to a real answer had come from Doctor Princess, who had rushed into the infirmary from the reception as soon as she had heard what was going on. Finn had asked her point-blank if Marceline and her baby would live, and the doctor had simply told him that she had no experience with Demon and Vampire hybrid births.

Her words, as noncommittal as they were, had reverberated in his mind as he sat next to the queen, holding her hand and willing her to wake up. Finn felt a light hand on his shoulder, and he looked up to see Simon, his face set in a tight frown.

"Finn, can I speak to you for a moment?" He asked.

"Of course," Finn replied. "I don't wanna leave Marcy, though."

"That's fine," Simon replied, pulling a chair up next to Finn's. He sighed, folded his hands, and tried to decide how to word what he wanted to say. "Finn, Malum said that there was an explosion in the Wizard City, right?"

"Yeah," Finn replied, confused.

"And he said that a man came out of the crater. Now, am I crazy for thinking that sounds awfully similar to the way that a certain Demon we know travels?"

"What are you saying?" Finn asked cautiously.

"Marceline told me about seeing Ash in the Nightosphere, and I can't help but think that he has something to do with all this," Simon replied, adjusting his glasses.

Finn released Marceline's hand and stood.

"Have you seen Hunson?" He asked.

"He's out in the waiting room," Simon replied. "I'll stay with Marcy."

Finn nodded and stepped out of Marceline's room, down a short hallway, and into the waiting room. Jake and Lady were asleep in one corner, while BMO and Neptr recharged at their feet. Princess Bubblegum had changed out of her dress and was sitting with her legs curled under her, reading a book about Vampire medicine. Hunson was sitting off to himself, absentmindedly flipping through a magazine and, every so often, checking his watch.

When the princess saw Finn, she carefully placed her book down and rushed over to him.

"Is she awake?" She whispered anxiously.

"No," Finn replied. "She's still the same. Do you think she'll be all right, PB?"

"Oh Finn, I just don't know," she whispered. "I'm reading up on pregnancies for species hybrids, but I'm finding a very frustrating lack of information. You'll be the first to know if I find something, though, okay?"

Finn nodded and hugged the princess. He stood up, clenched his fist, and walked purposefully over to Hunson.

"I need to talk to you," he said, struggling to keep himself calm.

"What's this about, Finn?" Hunson asked, straightening up in the seat and adjusting his tie.

"We need to talk," Finn repeated. "Privately."

He led Hunson out of the waiting room and into a walk-in linen closet. Finn slammed the door behind him and turned to face the Demon.

"Have you made sure that everyone who is still in the Nightosphere?" Finn asked.

Simon sighed and sat down on a shelf, grossing his legs.

"If you're asking if Ash escaped, the answer is yes," he replied simply.

"How can you be so fucking calm about this? He's bringing his army here to kill your daughter!" Finn screamed.

"It's being taken care of, Finn. I recognize that I made a mistake by allowing Ash out of his cage, but I am working to correct it. You just have to trust me."

"Trust you? What made you hire him anyway?"

"He came to me in the Nightosphere after his death, asking that I force Marceline to see him. Of course, I refused, but I noticed how much power seemed to be emanating from him. Much more than I ever sensed before his death. I assumed that he'd met with the Lich, who gave him this power, and I-"

"The man with the ram's horns," Finn whispered. Hunson looked at him, eyebrows raised, and Finn shook his head to clear his thoughts. "The Lich gave him power? And you're just now telling me?"

"I thought making him my employee would allow me to keep a close eye on him," Hunson replied.

"Apparently you didn't watch him close enough, and now he's coming for your daughter and your grandson!"

Finn stared at Hunson, waiting for a reaction. When one didn't come, the hero's shoulders sagged in defeat and he sat down on the shelf opposite his father-in-law.

"You don't even care about them, do you?" He asked.

"I care about Marceline, of course," Hunson said, folding his hands. "But as for the child she's carrying…I know my daughter far better than you ever will, Finn. She's evil, despite what you think, and she cares for no one but herself. That baby would be better off dead than living with her until she gets bored of it."

Finn jumped up, knocking a stack of bed sheets to the floor.

"Just because you were a shitty parent doesn't mean Marceline will be too!" He screamed.

"Little boy, I think you may be forgetting who you're talking to." Hunson stood, looming over the hero. "I suggest you leave my parenting skills out of this. I don't take insults from food."

Finn swung at Hunson, and his fist slammed against the Demon's cheek. Hunson stumbled backwards, falling against a shelf and knocking it to the ground. He stood up and was coming towards Finn, his fists clenched, when the door flew open and Princess Bubblegum ran in.

"Stop!" She screamed. "What's going on?"

Finn didn't answer, and glared at Hunson. Princess Bubblegum looked back and forth between the two men, trying to decide what to do.

"I came to tell you that Marceline's awake," she said. "She's crying for you, Finn."

Finn pushed past the princess without a word and ran towards the infirmary. He burst through the doors and ran past the Vampire doctors to his new wife.

"Marcy, are you okay?" He asked, holding her hand.

"It hurts, Finn. They…they said that the baby's coming soon. It's too early, but they can't stop it."

"I know, Marcy," Finn whispered. "But everything's going to be okay. I promise."

Marceline smiled sadly and looked up at Finn.

"You don't know that," she whispered. "Bonnie said she's been researching hybrid births, but she doesn't know that I did a bit of research on my own. No Wizard and Vampire, or Wizard and Demon for that matter, hybrid child has ever lived through birth. There's a big scientific explanation about why, but I don't understand. The only thing I understand is that my baby isn't going to make it…and I might not either."

"Don't say that Marceline," Finn said, a littler sharper than he intended. "Besides, you're a Vampire. You can't die."

"Vampires aren't quite as strong as we make ourselves out to be, hero," Marceline said. "We can die in childbirth. Most of us choose to never have children, because it's too risky. I don't know why I thought I'd be any different…"

Marceline trailed off and her face twisted up in pain. She gripped Finn's hand tightly, almost tight enough to hurt him.

"What's going on?" Finn yelled.

"She's having a contraction," Doctor Princess answered. "She's been having them since you brought her in, but this is the first one she's been awake for. They've been about ten minutes apart so far."

"What does that mean? Is she going to have the baby soon?" Finn asked.

"Soon, but we have no way of knowing when. It could be anywhere from one hour to twelve, possibly longer."

Finn bit his lip, and held Marceline's hand close to his chest. Eventually, her face softened and a she wiped the light sweat from her brow.

"It's okay, Finn," she said reassuringly. "It'll be worth it if…well, if everything works out."

Finn nodded and hugged Marceline tightly. He laid his head on the bed next to her, using her hand to prop his head up. He closed his eyes, and remembered the life he had imagined with Marceline and the baby. He realized that the events of the next few hours would determine if his fantasy would come true, or remain just that, and the young hero resumed his near-frantic prayers.

As the night went on, a steady stream of visitors came into Marceline's room, all with hopeful words of encouragement. BMO, normally so hyper, had crawled up on the bed next to Marceline and snuggled up to her before falling into sleep mode. Finn had started pick him up and take him back to the waiting room, but Marceline had refused. She had held him, just as she would a baby, and Finn had turned around so that she wouldn't see his tears.

Over time, Marceline's contractions started coming closer and closer, and they got more intense. Finn felt helpless, despite Marceline's constant reassurances that she was okay. He spent his time going back and forth between worrying about his wife and their child, and worrying about the quickly advancing Wizard army. They were only a few hours away, and Finn was scared and uncertain. He hadn't told Marceline that it was Ash leading them, and he didn't think he would unless it became necessary.

If everything went according to plan, the troops would be stopped by the Vampire army roughly three miles away from the castle, but Finn couldn't help but wonder what would happen if they weren't stopped. Princess Bubblegum had packed a bag just in case they did, full of diapers, medicines, and clothes for the baby. She had then taken off to the Candy Kingdom on the Morrow, to make sure that he citizens were safe, and to retrieve something from her lab.

Finn had just dozed off when the princess came back, rushing into the infirmary.

"The Candy Kingdom is safe," she said. "I brought something for you Finn. In case…in case things go bad."

Princess Bubblegum sat her bag on the ground, and unzipped it. Smiling widely, she pulled out a mechanical arm and presented it to Finn.

"It makes it easier to fight," she explained. "It works by receiving electrical impulses from your muscles, and responds appropriately to the stimuli."

Finn stared blankly at the princess.

"It won't require surgery," she said. "I can hook it up right now."

Finn stared at Princess Bubblegum for another beat, then hugged her tightly.

"That's radical!" He exclaimed.

From her bed, Marceline stirred and she looked up at her husband and the princess.

"What's going on?" She asked weakly.

"Princess Bubblegum made me an arm!" Finn exclaimed.

"That's great," Marceline said, smiling.

The queen stretched, and was met by another painful contraction. Finn rushed over so she could hold his hand. Princess Bubblegum watched, biting her lips and wishing that Marceline would accept some medication to dull the pain. When the princess had offered earlier, the queen had said that she deserved to hurt, and, despite her obvious misery, had stood her ground.

Princess Bubblegum watched as Marceline's face relaxed, and Finn gently wiped her forehead with a cold cloth. He leaned down and kissed her, while gently brushing her hair away from her face.

"Try to rest, Marcy," he whispered.

The queen nodded and sunk back into her pillows, her face paler than usual. Finn turned to Marceline and she saw the worry and fear in his eyes.

"Come on," she said, taking his hand. "Let's attach this and calibrate it properly."

"Okay," Finn said.

Princess Bubblegum had just made the last adjustments to Finn's new mechanical arm when the infirmary door flew open, hitting the wall behind it. They both jumped, and Marceline was startled from her already troubled sleep. Malum stood at the door, his eyes wild with fright.

"They got through our army…They're on their way here!" He yelled.

The color drained from Princess Bubblegum's face.

"How long do we have?" She asked.

"Maybe half an hour," Malum replied. "We have to get her out of here!"

Princess Bubblegum looked at Finn, who was staring at Malum with wide eyes. She realized that whatever leadership skills the hero may have had were gone now, clouded by his worry for his wife, and she decided that she would have to take charge.

"Malum, go prepare the citizens to defend the castle. I'm going to talk to everyone in the waiting room."

"Yes, Princess," Malum said.

"Finn," Princess Bubblegum took the hero's face in her hands and made him look up at her. "This is important. I need you to gather up that bag I packed for you guys, and bring Marceline into the waiting room. We have to leave the castle. Do you understand?"

Finn nodded, and Princess Bubblegum turned to leave. Before she did, she turned back around and pulled Finn into a tight hug. Before he could react, she had scurried out the door and into the waiting room, where Simon, Hunson, Jake, and Lady Rainicorn were sitting in a circle, obviously waiting for her.

"They're too close, and-"

"Take Marceline and get her away," Simon said. "We'll stay here and defend the castle."

"Thank you so much, all of you. I-"

Princess Bubblegum was interrupted when a loud explosion shook the waiting room. Finn, cradling Marceline in his arms, burst out of her room.

"They're here," he said. "We have to go now!"

Marceline clung tightly to Finn's chest as she rode out a particularly painful contraction, and she was barely aware of anything going on around her. The pains were coming nearly every three minutes, and they were more and more intense with each one. She was primarily aware of the pain; it clouded her vision and made her feel weak and dizzy. Through its haze, she vaguely felt that she was being carried by Finn, and he was running. She felt the outside air hitting her skin, and wondered where Finn was going, but another pain ripped through her, stopping all rational thought.

"Stop," Princess Bubblegum ordered.

They had made it to a small clearing in the forest that bordered the Vampire Castle. Princess Bubblegum's plan had been to take one of the Vampire doctors or Doctor Princess with them, but there had been no time. She would have to guide Marceline through the birth by herself.

"We can't stop now!" Finn cried. "The Wizards are too close!"

"I said stop," Princess Bubblegum ordered. "We can't take her any further. The baby is coming."

"What do I do?" Finn asked.

"Put the bag on the ground and lay her head on it. Other than that, just hold her hand." Princess Bubblegum considered for a moment. "You don't have a weak stomach, do you?"

"No," he replied. "I'll be fine."

"Good."

She pulled her own bag off her shoulder and unzipped it. She pulled out a pair of gloves, scissors in a sterile package, a bottle of a sterilizing solution, and several things that Finn didn't recognize. Princess Bubblegum put on the gloves and examined Marceline. She nodded to herself and she stripped off the gloves before gently cupping the queen's face in her hands.

"Marceline, come on. It's time to push," she said.

"Hurts too much," Marceline mumbled. "Just make it go away."

"I offered you drugs two hours ago, Marceline. Now it's too late. You have to push!"

"Can't," Marceline whined.

Finn looked at Princess Bubblegum, panic clear on his face.

"What do we do?" He asked.

"You look away," Princess Bubblegum ordered.

When Finn didn't comply, the princess shrugged and slapped Marceline's face, just hard enough to bring her back to reality. Finn started to speak, but the princess looked at him with an expression of warning, almost as if she was daring him to say something. He fell silent.

"Marceline, your baby is going to die if you don't start pushing!" Princess Bubblegum said.

Finn felt his blood run cold and, despite his promise to Princess Bubblegum, he began to feel lightheaded. He concentrated on holding Marceline's hand, and everything else became a blur. He knew that Marceline was obeying Princess Bubblegum, because her grip on his hand tightened, and he could vaguely hear the princess' soft words of encouragement.

After only a few minutes, Finn heard a loud grunt from Marceline, and a triumphant cheer from Princess Bubblegum. Then, like music, he heard the soft, high-pitched cry of the baby, and he realized that tears were streaming down his own face.

"You did it, Marcy," he whispered.

Marceline smiled up at Finn brightly, despite her exhaustion. Princess Bubblegum cut the baby's umbilical cord and placed him, wrapped in a thin blanket, on Marceline's chest. The queen stared at the baby for a long moment before she opened her mouth to speak. At a loss for words, she closed her mouth again and felt emotion overwhelm her.

The baby had Marceline's skin tone, and her pointed ears. She noticed that his hair was snow white and very thick, just like Ash's, but that seemed to be the only physical characteristic he had inherited from his father. All that mattered to the queen, however, was that he was safe.

Princess Bubblegum gently helped Marceline slip her hospital gown off one shoulder, and the queen guided her baby's lips to her breast.

"He's the most perfect thing I've ever seen," Finn whispered, his voice full of awe. "What's his name?"

"I was thinking Liam," Marceline replied. "I was looking through some old books and it means 'unwavering protector' and that reminded me of you, and I wanted to name him after his daddy, so…Is that okay?"

"I think it's perfect," Finn replied. "Our Liam."

When Marceline didn't respond, Finn looked down and saw that the baby was sliding off her chest, and her eyes had taken on a glassy look.

"Marcy?" He said. "What's wrong?"

"Tired," Marceline mumbled. "Gonna sleep."

"PB, What's wrong with her?" Finn yelled.

Princess Bubblegum fumbled with her gloves, but threw them away when she couldn't put them on fast enough to suit herself. When she kneeled to examine Marceline, she saw that she was bleeding heavily, and showing no signs of slowing down any time soon.

"Take the baby," the princess ordered.

Finn gently picked Liam up and cradled him in his non-mechanical arm. The baby began to cry, and Finn clumsily tried to comfort him. He stared at Princess Bubblegum, as she frantically tried to stop the bleeding.

"Put him down and help me!" She exclaimed.

Finn, sensing the urgency in the princess' voice, placed Liam on the ground and adjusted his blanket so that it covered his tiny body. He then ran to Princess Bubblegum's side.

"What's going on?" He asked, his voice rising to near-hysterical levels.

"She's hemorrhaging. Bad," the princess replied.

"How do we stop it?"

"I don't know, Finn. That's what I'm trying to figure out!" Princess Bubblegum snapped. "There are bottles of blood in my bag. Get her to drink them, but for Glob's sake don't let her choke."

As Finn gently poured the blood in Marceline's mouth, Princess Bubblegum frantically tried to remember what she had read about postpartum hemorrhaging, but she could recall very little. The princess used one trembling hand to check the queen's pulse, and she found that it was very weak. Frustrated tears sprung up at the corner of her eyes, and she was disgusted with herself. She was supposed to be one of the smartest women in all of Ooo, yet she couldn't even save her friend.

"Finn, do you think you can make it back into the castle undetected?" She asked, feeling defeated. "We need a doctor. I can't do this on my own."

"I'll try," Finn said.

He was already running in the direction of the castle before Princess Bubblegum could reply, and she watched him go, praying that he could make it on time. When Finn disappeared through the trees, the princess turned her attention back to Marceline, and stopping the blood that was pouring from her body at an alarming rate.

Princess Bubblegum was absorbed in the task at hand when she heard shouts, cracking twigs, and labored breathing. She looked up in time to see Finn, practically dragging Doctor Princess behind him.

"Take Marceline and run! I'll get Liam!" He screamed.

"What are you talking about, Finn? We can't move Marceline now!"

"Ash is on his way! He's following me!" Finn cried.

"Finn, she'll die if we try to move her," Princess Bubblegum said. "You'll just have to hold them off as long as you can. Do you have your sword?"

Finn nodded and pulled his sword from his backpack. He knelt down by Liam, who was whimpering softly.

"Hush, Liam," he whispered. "Daddy's gonna protect you."

As Finn cooed at the baby, Doctor Princess rushed to Marceline and did a quick examination.

"We have no choice but surgery," Doctor Princess whispered to Princess Bubblegum. "It's placenta accrete, meaning that the placenta has attached itself deeply within the uterus. I would recommend a hysterectomy, but of course that's up to Marceline…or Finn, considering her condition."

"Just do it," Princess Bubblegum ordered. "Finn doesn't need anything else distracting him."

Doctor Princess nodded and knelt down on the ground next to Marceline. She began sterilizing everything to the best of her ability, and Princess Bubblegum turned away. She had a stomach of iron, but seeing the doctor's blade on Marceline's skin was just too much for her. She found her bag and rummaged through it until she found the small handgun she had carried with her. After her last encounter with Ash, she had developed a formula that made any type of metal resistant to magic. She had used it on one of her guns, and hoped that it would be enough to help protect Marceline and Liam from Ash.

As she slipped the handgun into her waistband and pulled her shirt over it, Princess Bubblegum looked up to see Finn holding the baby close to his chest, staring down at him with love in his eyes. She walked over to the hero and put her arm around his shoulder, making sure that he didn't glance back to see what Doctor Princess was doing. She heard a rustling noise behind her, and whipped around, trying to find its source.

"Put him down, Finn. Somewhere safe," Princess Bubblegum ordered. "Doctor Princess, keep doing what you're doing, not matter what happens."

"Yes, ma'am," Doctor Princess said.

Finn hesitated, but he decided that it was best to just listen to the Princess Bubblegum. He wrapped Liam's blanket around him, kissed him on the forehead, and gently laid him at the base of a tall oak tree on the edge of the clearing. He remembered the stories Jake's mother had told him about the day they found him, all alone on a mountain, and a surge of guilt ran through him.

"I'll come back for you, Liam," Finn whispered.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that."

Finn turned around slowly until he was face to face with the man who had changed everything about his life, Ash. Gripping his sword in his mechanical arm, he started towards the Wizard, his jaw set in anger, but Princess Bubblegum stopped him with a strong hand on his shoulder.

"Why are you doing this?" Finn asked. "Why do you want to hurt Marceline?"

"I don't _want _to hurt her," Ash replied. "And I won't, as long as you're willing to negotiate with me."

"We don't negotiate," Princess Bubblegum said through clenched teeth.

"I don't think you have a choice. Your precious Marceline is cut open, and if I were to do this," Ash flicked his wand, sending Doctor Princess flying into a tree, "well, that wouldn't be too good for her, would it?"

"Stop it!" Finn yelled, advancing towards the Wizard.

"I will," Ash said, a smile playing across his lips. "If you give me the baby."

"No!"

"Either give me the child, or I let Marceline bleed out. It's your choice."

Finn ran at Ash, his sword in front of him. Ash raised his hand, and Finn flew backwards just as Doctor Princess had. His Demon blood sword, a gift from his adoptive father, was torn from his hands and buried deep in the wood of a nearby tree. Finn screamed in surprise and tried to fight against Ash's spell, but it was too strong for him. He was forced to watch helplessly as Princess Bubblegum was met with same fate, pinned to a tree next to him

As looked back at Doctor Princess and moved his hand in her direction. She fell to the forest floor, and stared up at Ash.

"Fix her up," he said, roughly nudging Marceline with the toe of his boot. "And don't try anything. I'll kill you both."

Doctor Princess nodded fearfully and went back to her work. Ash turned and to Liam and scooped the newborn up in his arms.

"Daddy's here, it's okay," he said, bouncing the crying infant in his arms. He looked up at Finn and Princess Bubblegum and smiled widely. "Thanks for handing him over. Somebody will get you down eventually…maybe."

Ash turned around and walked into the forest, as Finn struggled to release himself from the magic that pinned him to the tree. Princess Bubblegum, using all her strength, forced her hand away from the tree and to the waistband of her pants. Grunting with effort, she pulled the handgun out and aimed it at Ash. Just before he disappeared into the maze of trees, the princess managed to squeeze the trigger. The bullet was only slightly off target, hitting Ash in the shoulder rather than his neck as Princess Bubblegum had hoped.

She and Finn watched in horror as Ash screamed in pain, and a green mist flew out of the bullet wound. The Wizard looked around, a look of vague confusion on his face, before clutching the baby tighter and continuing his descent into the darkness of the forest. Ash's magic suddenly disappeared, and Finn and Princess Bubblegum landed on the ground. Finn jumped up, and the green mist from Ash's wound seemed to settle around him. He stumbled backwards, and quickly regained his balance.

Finn thought about trying to run after Ash, but Marceline begun to scream and thrash as Doctor Princess desperately tried to hold her down.

"Help me!" The doctor yelled.

Finn gently restrained Marceline's hands while Princess Bubblegum took her legs. He stared as Doctor Princess used a needle and thread to sew up the incision on Marceline's stomach. Cringing, he used his body to hold the queen down, blocking her view of the doctor. He laid his head on her chest, and held her close to him.

"Just be still, Marcy," he cried. "Everything's okay."

Marceline's struggles weakened, and Doctor Princess clipped the end of the thread. She rubbed an alcohol swab down the length of the incision and sat down on the forest floor, exhausted.

"I think she'll be okay," Doctor Princess said.

Finn held Marceline, trying to block out the world around him. He couldn't help but feel that he had failed more than just Marceline and Liam. The dreams he had since traveling to the cabin with Marceline danced just outside of his conscious memory, and he allowed himself to cry for everything that he had lost.

AN: Thanks for reading. There will be an epilogue coming soon, followed by the third installment called "The Lost Prince". Please leave me a review to tell me what you liked, disliked, and what needs improvement!


	9. Epilogue

When Marceline awoke, she was lying on her back, in a hard bed. She was confused, her body was numb, and she found that every move she made was painful. Her hand automatically went to her stomach, but jumped back when she realized that the bump she had grown so accustomed to was now gone, and her stomach was nearly as flat as it had been before her whole life had fell apart. Panic gripped the Vampire's heart and she looked around the room she was in wildly.

Marceline saw that she was in a large tent, rather than the infirmary that she had expected, and slowly, everything that had happened after her wedding came back. The memories were fuzzy at first, but as they began to sharpen, Marceline's panic turned to a deep, cold fear. She remembered giving birth, and hearing Ash's voice, and seeing him run away with Liam in his arms. A scream rose in her throat, and it soon pierced the silence around her.

Finn, who was sitting silently around a campfire outside the tent along with Princess Bubblegum, Doctor Princess, Jake, Lady Rainicorn, and Simon, heard Marceline's screams and ran to her. With Doctor Princess and Princess Bubblegum at his heels, he threw back the tent flaps and wrapped Marceline in a tight, yet gentle, embrace.

"I'm so glad you're awake, Marcy. I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

"Where's my baby?" Marceline screamed, gripping Finn's t-shirt in her fists. "Where's Liam?"

Finn began to cry, and Princess Bubblegum stepped forward and gently removed Marceline's fist from Finn's shirt.

"Ash took him, Marceline," she said. "We don't know where, but we're trying our best to find out."

"No you're not! You're just standing here!" Marceline screamed, trying to push herself out of bed. "We have to go get him!"

Doctor Princess gently pushed Marceline back onto the bed.

"Marceline, you have to lie down," she said, her voice firm. "You had some complications during delivery, and I had to operate. You've just had a major surgery, and you're in no condition to go anywhere."

Marceline stopped struggling against the doctor and looked up at her.

"Major surgery? Why?"

"You hemorrhaged after giving birth, and I have to do an emergency hysterectomy. That means that you'll never have another child, but it was a last resort. You were losing too much blood, and-"

"Just stop," Marceline said. "I don't blame you. You were just trying to save me."

"I'm glad you understand," Doctor Princess said. "Now, you need to rest. I can give you something to relax you if you'd like."

"Okay," Marceline agreed. "Finn, will you stay with me until I fall asleep?"

"I'll stay with you all night, Marcy," Finn promised.

Doctor Princess handed Marceline a pill and a glass of water.

"It'll take about an hour for it to kick in, but anything that works faster would probably make you nauseous. Do you need anything else?"

"No, I'm fine," Marceline said. "Thank you."

Princess Bubblegum squeezed Marceline's hand and tried her best to smile.

"We really do have a plan, Marceline. We're going to get him back. No matter what."

"Thanks, Bonnibel."

The doctor and the princess left Marceline and Finn alone so that the queen could rest. Finn stood next to Marceline's bed, his head down, his blond hair hanging down over his eyes.

"Lay down with me, hero," Marceline whispered, taking Finn's hand. "Please?"

Marceline pulled back the blankets, and Finn laid down next to her, taking care to avoid the IV that was steadily pumping blood back into her body. Despite their close proximity, Finn didn't touch Marceline, and she realized how upset he was. She scooted over until she was under his arm, and she rested her head on his chest.

"I don't blame you, you know," she said.

"But it's my fault," Finn said, his chest beginning to heave. "I didn't stop Ash in time. I let him get away with Liam."

"We're going to find him, Finn. You guys said you had a plan, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Finn replied, wiping his eyes.

"Well, what is it?"

"PB is trying to pinpoint Ash's location. In about a week, we're going after him. Simon, Jake, Lady Rainicorn, and Princess Bubblegum are coming with us. Doctor Princess is going to stay back to help out in the Vampire Kingdom."

"Okay. Hey Finn?"

"Hmm?"

"Why aren't we in the castle? Why are we here?" Marceline asked, already knowing the answer.

"It's gone, Marcy. The whole castle and most of the kingdom."

Marceline nodded. She knew that she should be upset, and a part of her was, but she also couldn't help but feel as though a weight lifted off her shoulders. She could no longer be a ruler without a kingdom, and she was now a queen in title only.

The Vampire looked over at Finn, and saw that his eyes were closed, and a steady stream of tears ran down his face. She started to comfort him, but she realized that nothing she could say would ease the pain he was feeling. She settled for snuggling closer to him and slowly, almost hesitantly, he wrapped both arms around her.

They lay close together and sleep overtook them. Finn's rest was troubled by dark, confused dreams filled with a green mist. He was beginning to get scared when a bright light shown through the mist, and he was once again face to face with the Cosmic Owl.

"You haven't failed, Finn. Find the child. It is greatly important that you do. Trust no one on your journey, for the man with the ram's horn is in your midst. Good luck to you, Finn."

Finn shot up in the bed, his heart racing.

"What is it, Finn? What's wrong?" Marceline asked groggily.

"Nothing Marcy," he replied. "Go back to sleep."

Marceline lay back down, her head on Finn's chest. The hero put his arms back around her, and wondered where Ash had taken Liam.

"I'm going to find you, Liam," he thought. "Daddy promises."

Finn rested his chin on the top of Marceline's head, and hoped that he could keep his promise.

* * *

AN: Thanks for reading! The third installment of the trilogy will be out soon, titled "The Lost Prince". Don't forget to leave a review telling me what you rethink, or if you have anything you'd like to see in the final story!


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